4 Kazakh Regions Likely to See Water Shortages in 2026 |
Crossroads Asia | Environment | Central Asia
4 Kazakh Regions Likely to See Water Shortages in 2026
Following the 2025 regional drought, Kazakhstan authorities have warned about below-average reservoir levels and the possibility for summer shortages.
Four regions in Kazakhstan may face water shortages in 2026, a product of the lingering effects of the 2025 regional drought, according to Kazakh Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
As reported by Vlast.kz, during a government meeting this week Nurzhigitov warned that low water levels are expected in the Syr Darya, Shu, and Talas river basins, affecting three Kazakh regions – Kyzylorda, Turkestan, and Zhambyl. Almaty region, home to Kazakhstan’s largest city and also the site of Kazakhstan’s planned first nuclear power plant, may also be at risk of water shortages this year.
This is not Nurzhigitov’s first warning. In January, he sounded the alarm, noting that the water volume in southern Kazakhstan’s reservoirs was 1.9 billion cubic meters lower than in January 2025.
“This is an objective reality, driven by declining autumn-winter precipitation, reduced glacial runoff, and the overall impact of climate change. These factors are long-term and require systemic adaptation,” Nurzhigitov said at the time.
The situation is much the same now. In his recent comments, Nurzhigitov said that reservoir levels were 1.6 billion cubic meters lower than during the same period last year.
The Shu and Talas River basins, Nurzhigitov said, “are characterized by persistently low water availability throughout the growing season.”........