From 26 July to 4 August 2026, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in partnership with the Information and Analytical Center for Water Resources under the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, supported a series of consultations with basin inspections and other water-sector stakeholders in the Aral-Syrdarya, Zhaiyk-Caspian and Yertis basins. The consultations formed part of Kazakhstan's broader efforts to develop basin plans and a General Plan for integrated water resources management based on accurate, up-to-date and jointly verified data.
The consultations brought together more than 100 representatives of basin inspections, branches of the Republican State Enterprise (RSE) "Kazvodkhoz" and RSE "Kazhydromet", local executive bodies, water-user organizations, and scientific and research institutions. Conducted by a team of three water specialists (two women and one man), the meetings took place from 26 to 29 July in Kyzylorda, from 30 to 31 July in Aktau, and from 2 to 4 August in Semey and Oskemen. Participants worked to verify baseline data, align projected water balances with local investment and development plans, and identify measures for inclusion in the basin plans.
The consultations combined technical review with field observation. Participants examined water-use limits, the accuracy of water accounting and metering, the condition of hydraulic infrastructure and irrigation canals, transportation losses, and the fulfilment of transboundary commitments. Discussions also addressed the functioning of basin councils, the participation of water users and the public, and the availability and quality of data required for basin planning. Field visits to key water infrastructure and water-use facilities enabled participants to connect the planning process with conditions on the ground.
Working directly with the expert team, representatives of the basin inspections also reconciled discrepancies between primary reporting data and previously prepared analytical materials. This included correcting data on water-supply sources and transboundary inflows in the three basins, strengthening the basis for calculating water balances under current and future demand scenarios. The consultations also highlighted priorities for continued investment in canal rehabilitation, water-saving technologies and monitoring networks.
By bringing together national authorities, basin inspections, water users and other stakeholders to verify data and jointly identify priorities, the consultations strengthened the evidentiary basis for Kazakhstan's basin plans and General Plan for integrated water resources management. The initiative supports the country's long-term efforts to strengthen water security, transboundary co-operation and sustainable water governance, in line with OSCE commitments and international good practices.
