Kazakhstan Launches Second Phase of North Aral Sea Restoration Project

The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has developed the second phase of a major project aimed at preserving the North Aral Sea. This new stage focuses on reconstructing the Kokaral Dam and modernizing regional irrigation systems.

The planned reconstruction of the Kokaral Dam is designed to raise the water level in the North Aral Sea to 44 meters according to the Baltic system. This intervention is expected to significantly expand the water body's surface area to 3,913 square kilometers and increase its total volume to 34 billion cubic meters.

Concurrently, work is underway on over 160 design and estimate documents for modernizing and automating irrigation systems in the Aral-Syrdarya basin, located in the Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions. These upgrades are intended to ensure more efficient water use, with saved volumes being directed into the North Aral Sea.

The project is currently being prepared for submission to the Coordinating Council for Cooperation with International Financial Organizations, chaired by Kazakhstan's Prime Minister. The implementation period is scheduled for 2026–2029.

Recent efforts have already yielded positive results. Over the past three years, coordinated operation of reservoirs on the Syr Darya River and strict adherence to interstate agreements have delivered more than 6 billion cubic meters of water inflow into the sea. Consequently, its volume grew from 18.9 billion cubic meters at the end of 2022 to 23 billion by the close of 2025.

"The Head of State has repeatedly emphasized the importance of preserving the North Aral Sea," stated Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov. "Last year, an Agreement was signed between the Governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on joint management and rational use of transboundary water bodies. For Central Asian countries, preserving and restoring the North Aral is not only an ecological but also a social and strategic task."