Categories Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan and Russia are preparing for floods on transboundary rivers

The Republican Crisis Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan and the National Center for Crisis Management of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia constantly exchange information on the state of water levels in transboundary rivers, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported in response to a request from a Kazinform agency correspondent.

Казахстан и Россия готовятся к паводкам на трансграничных реках

Projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure and reducing risks are being implemented. Among the main activities are — construction and strengthening of protective dams and ramparts, installation of drainage canals and ditches, as well as repair of culverts and storm drainage systems. However, as experts note, in the event of a dam break or a sharp increase in water levels in rivers crossing the border with the Russian Federation, such efforts may be insufficient.

In this regard, as reported by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for the effective management and interaction of authorized bodies and organizations in responding to floods, an Action Plan for eliminating emergency situations of global and regional scale was developed and approved.

Interaction with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, including issues of flood prevention, is carried out on an ongoing basis.

— The regional emergency departments of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan constantly carry out information interaction with the Crisis Management Centers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, including the exchange of information on the state of water levels in transboundary rivers, the occupancy of hydraulic structures, and changes in weather conditions. Thus, by analyzing the data received, appropriate rapid response measures are being taken to prevent possible flood threats, — says the response of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan to a request from a Kazinform agency correspondent.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations told how they are preparing for floods.

—According to preliminary forecasts, inflows into reservoirs will be higher than the long-term average, which will require special attention to the creation of free reservoirs for receiving water when snow melts in the territories of the constituent entities of the two countries. In addition, on rivers to ensure trouble-free passage of floods, measures are taken to weaken the strength of the ice, including explosions, sawing and blackening of ice, in order to prevent congestion and flooding of the territory, — noted the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation.

All emergency services of the border regions of the two countries every spring, before the start of spring snowmelt, conduct joint exercises to respond to emergency situations that arise during the spring flood. These exercises practice joint actions in the event of an emergency in border areas and areas.

The operational duty shifts of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan and Russia in the border regions exchange operational information daily, including about the flood situation. A similar exchange is carried out at the federal level between the Republican Crisis Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan and the National Center for Crisis Management of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.

On November 7, 2024, the XIV meeting of the joint Kazakh-Russian commission on the joint use and protection of transboundary water bodies was held in Volgograd, at which experts and heads of services regulating the operation of reservoirs took part and issues of skipping spring floods, research programs of transboundary rivers and water bodies were considered, and work plans for 2025 were approved. The main focus is on the Zhaiyk River.

—To provide information support in solving problems in the field of protecting the population and territories from emergency situations, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia has created and operates an information system «Atlas of Hazards and Risks», which is a segment of the automated information and control system of the unified state system for the prevention and response to emergency situations. The system accumulates and processes data from various government information providers on issues related to emergency prevention and response. In addition to information system data, a separate agreement regulates the exchange of Earth remote sensing data.

If the operational situation worsens, a domestic constellation of spacecraft is used, and the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters is activated, which provides access to satellite images from 17 space agencies of foreign countries. In the event of a threat of a transboundary emergency, space monitoring is carried out in advance, taking into account the forecast and possible deterioration of the operational situation, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations noted.

The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan expects to receive the first flood forecast for the Tasqyn system in early February. All reservoirs in Kazakhstan are being prepared for spring floods.