Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation redirected nearly 1 billion cubic meters of floodwater to the Caspian Sea.
The water was channeled through four waterways: Baksai, Naryn, Chernaya Rechka, and Sokolok. These channels have a combined daily capacity of 12 million cubic meters, according to the ministry.
Prior to the diversion, each channel underwent cleaning, strengthening, and other necessary maintenance. Notably, a new 14.5 km channel was constructed alongside the Sokolok Canal to facilitate additional water flow to the Caspian Sea.
“Floodwater is being directed not only to the Caspian Sea estuaries but also to the Zhaiyk River estuaries and groundwater reserves for replenishment,” said Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation. “Previously, we successfully used this approach to raise the water level in Lake Balkhash by 15 cm, support the Kamysh-Samara lakes, and replenish lakes in the Ulytau, Kyzylorda, and Akmola regions. Replenishing water bodies with floodwater is a critical priority for our ministry.”
It’s important to note that increasing the level of the Caspian sea due the water discharge will be beneficial for the marine ecology of all the surrounding countries.
These recent floods were caused by heavy spring rainfall in Kazakhstan. The severity of the flooding necessitated a local state of emergency being declared in ten regions. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the disaster as the most significant in scale and consequences over the past eight decades. ///nCa, 3 May 2024