Russia and Kazakhstan are preparing a joint five-year program to save the Ural River, reports infohub.kz.
Authorities in Russia's Orenburg region plan to involve Kazakh specialists in restoring the Ural's ecosystem. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Russian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Dmitry Tetenkin and Kazakh Vice Minister of Ecology Mansur Oshurbaev.
The joint program for protecting the Ural ecosystem is expected to run from 2027 to 2032. Key tasks include sharing water quality data and building or upgrading treatment facilities. Talks between the two countries will continue.
Earlier, hydrologist Mikhail Bolgov noted that diverting Siberian rivers to Kazakhstan is a costly project that would only be considered in the event of a water crisis in Central Asia.