The Kazakh part of the Aral Sea is showing a process of gradual increase in water volume. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan reported a significant rise in the total amount of water in the North Aral Sea, as large volumes have been flowing into it via the Syr Darya river over the past ten months.
According to data from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters of water were directed to the sea since October of last year. Thanks to this, the total volume of water in the water area has reached 23.4 billion cubic meters. During the active irrigation period, the inflow is 14 cubic meters per second, but experts plan to gradually increase this figure to 100–150 cubic meters per second by the end of the season.
To ensure water conservation and the slow recovery of the local natural system, Astana is automating water resource accounting in the Syr Darya basin and reconstructing important hydraulic structures.
A critical condition for saving the water body is coordinated activity with neighboring states. Last year, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan concluded an agreement concerning the joint management and rational use of shared rivers. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, previously highlighted the positive outcomes of this joint work to restore the North Aral Sea.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan announced plans to transform the International Fund for the Saving of the Aral Sea (IFSA) into one of the central elements of regional integration. As part of Uzbekistan's chairmanship next year, the development and updating of the Fund's work are planned, aligning its objectives with the decisions of the Consultative Meetings of Central Asian Heads of State, as well as increasing the effectiveness of implemented programs and projects.