The environmental situation around Lake Balkhash, a unique waterway in Kazakhstan, is increasingly alarming. Years of accumulating problems associated with intensive water use, pollution and possibly the effects of climate change have threatened the existence of this fragile ecosystem. Finally, an attempt has been made to move from piecemeal action to an integrated approach: a two-day workshop was held in Almaty to develop a Master Plan for the conservation of the lake and its basin. This event, organized by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of Kazakhmys Corporation LLP, brought together representatives of government agencies, international organizations, including the Consulate General of France, as well as scientists and experts, which emphasizes the seriousness of the problem.
During the seminar, the Information and Analytical Center for Water Resources under the relevant ministry presented a Roadmap – a kind of action plan for creating this Master Plan. The document is ambitious: it covers a comprehensive analysis of the state and quality of water resources throughout the Ile-Balkhash basin, including hard-to-reach groundwater. Particular attention is paid to modern technologies: it is planned to create a digital platform for monitoring the level of Balkhash, as well as automation and digitalization of key water bodies and hydraulic structures. These steps are critical to understanding the real picture and promptly responding to negative changes occurring in the lake against the backdrop of anthropogenic pressure.
The roadmap also includes the development of measures for a more rational use of water resources – an aspect that has long required revision, taking into account the needs of agriculture, industry and the growing population of the region. The foreign policy track is no less important: joint measures are envisaged with China for the protection and sustainable use of the waters of the transboundary Ili River, the main source of food for Balkhash. It is the unregulated water intake in the neighboring country that is often called one of the main threats to the future of the lake.
International partners are involved to deeply explore the Balkhash basin. The joint work will be carried out by the French Development Agency (AFD), the French Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM) and Kazakh specialists. The French side has already begun collecting the necessary data. In the near future, BRGM experts plan to conduct field research, including inspection of wells, gauges and irrigated lands, in order to obtain an objective assessment of the situation directly on site. Such international cooperation gives hope for the application of best practices and technologies in solving the most complex environmental problems.
«For a long time, issues related to Lake Balkhash were resolved in a targeted manner, without a unified strategy. To move on to systematic and coordinated work, we are starting to develop a Master Plan for the conservation and protection of Lake Balkhash. This document will be the most important stage in the formation of a holistic, intersectoral approach to the management of water resources in the basin, based on a balance of interests of nature, the economy and society, – notes the moderator of the seminar, First Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bolat Bekniyaz. – To develop a Master Plan, it is necessary to conduct study and analysis in all key areas – from water and environmental issues to energy agriculture and socio-economic development in the Ile-Balkhash region. This is why the Roadmap» presented today was prepared.
«The problems of Balkhash are complex and transboundary, especially considering the dependence of the lake on the flow of the Ili River. Therefore, the involvement of international experts is absolutely justified and necessary, – emphasizes one of the seminar participants, director of the public foundation «Rivers Without Borders» Alexander Kolotov. – We are also ready to provide our expertise and will try to contribute to the development and implementation of the Master Plan, so that it becomes not just a document, but a real shield capable of protecting the unique soul of Balkhash from final extinction».
We can only hope that the declared balance of interests will not result in another compromise to the detriment of nature, and the Master Plan will truly become a tool for saving the unique lake.
Alexander Eskendirov (Rivers.Help!)
