Kyrgyzstan will boost the volume of water shared with Kazakhstan to 600 million cubic meters through the Talas River and 180 million cubic meters through the Shu River during the irrigation period, as reported by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan.
These numbers followed bilateral negotiations between Kyrgyz and Kazakh officials, as the inflow of irrigation water is critical for agriculture in the Zhambyl region.
Kyrgyzstan has already supplied 45 million cubic meters of water and will continue to do so until it meets the agreed-upon numbers.
Last year, Kyrgyzstan even surpassed the agreed volume of water, sending 418 million cubic meters via the Talas River (instead of 380 million cubic meters) and 165.3 million cubic meters via the Shu River.
In 2023, Zhambyl region authorities declared a state of emergency due to a severe shortage of irrigation water that usually comes from Kyrgyzstan and abnormal heat. At the time, the region reported a 25% to 30% decline in yields compared to 2022, according to official data.
