Kazakhstan receives €1.35 million from France for Lake Balkhash preservation

Kazakhstan has decided to seriously engage in preserving Lake Balkhash, near which the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) is planned. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources has already signed an agreement with France, which is expected to allocate a €1.35 million grant for studying the lake. France has also pledged to conduct extensive research on the lake basin and develop a preservation plan for the body of water.

«The Ministry of Water Resources, the French Development Agency and the French Geological Survey have signed a trilateral cooperation agreement… The document includes a €1.35 million grant to the ministry for the improvement of water resource management on Lake Balkhash,» the statement read.

Once specialists conduct research on the lake’s bottom, France will prepare a master plan for the body of water through 2040. The plan will include a wide range of measures aimed at preserving the lake.

«The agreement includes water testing and modeling climate and anthropogenic impacts, as well as forecasting water balance through 2040. One of the project’s objectives is to find the optimal operational mode for the Kapchagay Reservoir to stabilize the water level in Lake Balkhash,» Minister of Water Resources Nurzhan Nurzhigitov explained.

He also emphasized that massive work will begin once all the studies are complete. This includes river cleaning, preventing soil degradation and water pollution, as well as developing fisheries and green tourism.

On Oct. 6, a national referendum was held in Kazakhstan regarding the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). The proposed location for the facility is the Ulken settlement in the Almaty region, on the shores of Lake Balkhash.