Kazakhstan plans to allocate 11 billion cubic meters of water for irrigation in 2026

According to the forecast of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, by the end of the season the total water intake will reach 11 billion cubic meters, which will allow irrigating 1.2 million hectares of agricultural land. The department emphasizes that under the conditions of the ongoing water resource deficit in the region, compliance with water consumption limits and the introduction of water-saving technologies are of particular importance.

The gist in brief

·        Since the beginning of the growing season in Kazakhstan, 5.9 billion cubic meters of water have been withdrawn.

·        701 thousand hectares of agricultural land have already been irrigated.

·        By the end of the season, it is planned to use about 11 billion cubic meters of water to irrigate 1.2 million hectares.

·        In the southern regions, irrigation of 77.7 thousand hectares of rice paddies is fully provided.

·        The Ministry demands strict compliance with water consumption limits and further reduction of areas under water-intensive crops.

Half of the planned volume already used

As reported by the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov at a staff meeting, according to operational data, the total water intake in the country has reached 5.9 billion cubic meters, and irrigation has been carried out on an area of 701 thousand hectares.

Overall, in the current growing season, it is planned to use about 11 billion cubic meters of water, which will allow irrigating 1.2 million hectares of agricultural land.

Most contracts concluded through the digital system

Since the start of the irrigation season, 35,309 contracts for water supply have been concluded with agricultural producers.

Of these, 26,585 contracts were processed through the billing system of the state enterprise Kazvodkhoz developed by the Ministry, which indicates a gradual transition of water resource management to digital mechanisms.

The largest volumes of water use traditionally occur in the south of the country. In the Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, Turkestan regions and the Zhetisu region, 33,645 contracts have been concluded for irrigating 829 thousand hectares, including 77.7 thousand hectares of rice paddies.

According to preliminary data, 5.8 billion cubic meters of water have already been used in these regions, and irrigation has been carried out on 585 thousand hectares, including all areas planted with rice.

Ministry demands water conservation

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov noted that special meetings were held in the southern regions last year to prepare for the current irrigation season.

"In the current weather conditions, it is necessary to ensure strict compliance with all established limits," the minister emphasized.

According to him, the regions need to continue reducing the sowing of water-intensive crops, diversify the structure of agricultural production, and more actively introduce modern water-saving technologies. Special monitoring groups are operating in all southern regions to control water use.

What this means for Kazakhstan

The current irrigation season shows that the problem of rational water use is becoming one of the key factors in the development of the domestic agro-industrial complex. The nearly 11 billion cubic meters of water planned for use during the season is a huge volume, the efficiency of which directly affects crop yields and the sustainability of agriculture.

Earlier, Hunn.kz reported in detail on the results of the state audit of the water sector, which revealed systemic problems in water resource management, as well as scientific studies warning about the reduction of water levels in the largest rivers of Central Asia. Against this backdrop, the transition to digital water consumption accounting, the reduction of areas under the most water-intensive crops, and the introduction of modern irrigation technologies are becoming not just a matter of modernization, but a necessary condition for ensuring the country's food security.

Author's conclusion

The volume of water intake of 11 billion cubic meters in itself is not an indicator of efficiency. What is much more important is how rationally these resources will be used. In conditions of increasing water scarcity, the winners will not be those farms that receive more water, but those that learn to get a larger harvest from each cubic meter. This is why the digitalization of water accounting and the development of water-saving technologies are gradually becoming one of the main directions for the development of Kazakhstani agriculture.