Efforts are now underway in Almaty to create a comprehensive master plan aimed at preserving Lake Balkhash, one of the largest lakes in Central Asia. Specialists from both Kazakhstan and France will work together on this initiative, as announced by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
The plan outlines a comprehensive set of measures to assess the condition and quality of water resources in the Ili-Balkhash basin, including groundwater. It also includes the creation of a digital platform to monitor the level of Lake Balkhash, as well as the automation and digitalization of water facilities and key hydraulic structures.
In addition, measures have been adopted to promote the more rational and efficient use of water resources in the Ili-Balkhash basin, along with joint initiatives with China focused on the protection and sustainable use of the Ili River basin's water.
The initiative is supported by major French institutions, including the French Development Agency (AFD), the French Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM), and the International Office for Water (OiEau).
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is overseeing the project, with financial and organizational support from Kazakhmys Corporation. The seminar brings together participants from various Kazakhstani ministries, international organizations, academic institutions, and the Consulate General of France in Almaty.
“For many years, issues related to Lake Balkhash were addressed in a fragmented manner, without a unified strategy. To shift toward a more systematic and coordinated approach, we are initiatingthe development of a Master Plan for the preservation and protection of Lake Balkhash. This document will represent a crucial step in establishing an integrated, cross-sectoral approach to water resource management in the basin—one that balances the interests of nature, the economy, and society. Developing the Master Plan will require comprehensive research and analysis across all key areas,” the First Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Bolat Bekniyaz noted.
Experts have long cautioned that, without a unified strategy for managing water resources, Lake Balkhash could face a fate like the disastrous decline of the Aral Sea. The lake’s decreasing water levels are already threatening local biodiversity, altering climate patterns, and undermining the socio-economic stability of surrounding communities.
Creating a master plan is seen as a vital measure to halt further environmental decline, ensure the sustainable use of water resources, and maintain the ecological balance of the region.
This is not the first meeting between Kazakh and French officials that they are discussing issues around the Lake Balkhash. Both sides also met last year to discuss possible collaboration on exploration of possibilities for joint research on the Lake Balkhash basin and cooperation in groundwater management
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