Kazakhstan plans to secure financing from the World Bank to restore the North Aral Sea and rehabilitate waterways in the Syr Darya River basin. According to Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, the projects, whose costs have already been disclosed by the government, will require nearly 80 billion tenge ($163 million).
The government aims to reduce water losses and increase the volume of the North Aral Sea to 34 cubic kilometers, Zhumangarin said.
Canal modernization plans
Authorities plan to line 15 municipal canals with concrete in the Kyzylorda region. The reconstruction projects are expected to cost approximately 22.7 billion tenge in total.
Under the proposed financing structure, eight canal projects worth 3.9 billion tenge would be included in the first phase of World Bank funding, while another seven projects valued at 18.8 billion tenge would be financed during the second phase.
Additionally, the government is preparing design and cost-estimate documentation for the rehabilitation of 33 more canals. Construction work on those projects is estimated to cost 56.8 billion tenge.
As a result, the total budget allocated for the canal modernization program has reached 79.5 billion tenge. Separately, five projects worth 4.2 billion tenge are already underway in the region with financing from the Islamic Development Bank.
Aging infrastructure drives water losses
Most canals in the Kyzylorda region were built in the 1960s and 1970s and are now in poor condition.
As infrastructure deteriorates, large volumes of water seep into the ground before reaching agricultural fields. Annual losses are estimated at up to 2 billion cubic meters of water. According to Zhumangarin, this accounts for nearly half of Kazakhstan’s total water losses.
Aral Sea restoration efforts
In addition to canal rehabilitation, the large-scale initiative aims to support the restoration of the Aral Sea. As part of the project, authorities plan to reconstruct the Kokaral Dam and raise its height by 2 meters.
To improve water storage capacity, the government also plans to begin construction this year of a new reservoir on the Karaozek channel with a capacity of 775 million cubic meters.
The modernization program includes repairs to more than 500 kilometers of irrigation networks and the introduction of automated control systems on an additional 1,100 kilometers of waterways. Overall, the project covers more than 180 facilities across the Kyzylorda and Turkestan regions.
Loan agreement expected by year-end
The government is now preparing the paperwork required for state guarantees and World Bank funding. Authorities expect to sign the loan agreement by the end of 2026.
