Prospects for further revival of the Northern Aral Sea became the main topic of the meeting between the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov and the World Bank Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Sameh Wahba. The negotiations took place directly at the Kokaral Dam in the Kyzylorda region, a key facility for saving the reservoir.
The parties discussed the implementation of the second phase of a large-scale project, the feasibility study (feasibility study) of which is currently being completed by the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. It is planned not only to reconstruct the Kokaral Dam, but also to raise the sea level to 44 meters according to the Baltic system. In addition, the project provides for the construction of a hydroelectric complex near the village of Amanotkel, which will stabilize water resources in the Akshatau and Kamystybas lake systems of the Aral region.
As a result of these measures, the water surface area of the Northern Aral Sea is expected to increase to 3,913 square kilometers, and the volume of water will reach 34 cubic kilometers. According to experts, the process of filling the sea to design levels will take from four to five years.
The choice of the current option for preserving the sea is not accidental. As the ministry points out, it is based on a thorough analysis of the long-term average volumes of water inflow across the Syr Darya River basin for more than a century (from 1913 to 2019) and the physical parameters of reservoirs. The initiative to raise and strengthen the Kokaral Dam was also previously voiced by ex-Minister of Land Reclamation and Water Resources Nariman Kypshakbaev. To find the optimal solution, a series of meetings have been held since the beginning of this year with the participation of representatives of the akimat of the Kyzylorda region and the Aral region. Meetings of specialists from the relevant ministry with the public and local residents were held several times. As part of Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov’s recent working trip to the region, a meeting was held with citizens, where deputies of Parliament, designers, and veterans of the water industry were present. It heard and discussed proposals from residents of the Aral region and the city of Aralsk. The chosen scenario was recognized as optimal in terms of implementation time and taking into account the real hydrological situation in the Syr Darya basin.
The World Bank, in turn, expressed interest in further participation in the project to save the Northern Aral Sea. The international financial organization has already allocated a grant for the development of a feasibility study. Regional Director Sameh Wahba, visiting the fish processing plant, noted the significant potential of the project to create jobs not only in fishing, but also in agriculture, livestock and tourism. Thus, the initiative to restore the Aral Sea can give impetus to the economic development of the entire Kyzylorda region. The project is also of global importance, demonstrating the possibility of restoring entire ecosystems.
It is expected that the examination of the feasibility study developed by the ministry will be received in December 2025.
The Northern Aral conservation project has complex goals: increasing the volume and improving the quality of water in the sea, restoring the Syr Darya river delta, reducing the removal of salt deposits from the dried bottom of the Aral Sea, improving the management of water resources in the Northern Aral Sea, developing fisheries in the Kyzylorda region and, as a result, improving living conditions of the local population.
The press service of the Ministry of Water Resources notes that the success of the first phase of the project serves as an inspiring example. As a result, the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea increased by 42%, salinity decreased almost four times, which made it possible to increase the annual volume of fish caught to 8 thousand tons. In addition, 870 square kilometers of dry sea floor were covered with water, which significantly reduced wind removal of harmful salt deposits.
