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Kazakhstan is facing increasingly frequent water shortages, raising critical questions about why the nation's abundant underground water reserves are not being fully utilized and who is responsible for this oversight. Concerns have been raised about deficiencies and inefficiencies within the country's water resource management system.

Vast Untapped Potential

According to members of the Senate, Kazakhstan possesses substantial underground water reserves, yet only a mere 3.5% of this potential is currently being exploited. While 4,803 deposits have been identified with a confirmed daily reserve of 43.2 million cubic meters, the majority of these resources remain underutilized.

Developing a Management System

Efforts to establish a comprehensive management system for underground water resources in Kazakhstan have only recently begun. The sector is being regulated under the framework of a new Water Code and a strategy extending to 2030. In 2024, the national service "Kazgeology" was established, consolidating functions for exploration, monitoring, and accounting of underground water resources.

The condition of these resources is monitored through over 4,000 observation wells, with data systematically compiled annually by region. Digitalization is also advancing, with the WaterBase information system operating in a pilot phase. The plan is to integrate this system into a unified national platform for analyzing and forecasting water resources in the future.

Obstacles and Accountability

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov reported that "Kazgeology's" equipment has been modernized, an analytical center has been established with international support, specialists are being trained, and a long-term concept for underground water use until 2040 is being developed. However, specific economic or infrastructural barriers preventing the integration of these resources into practical use have not been clearly identified. Furthermore, a unified center for managing the sector has not been designated. Many initiatives, such as integrating digital solutions and monitoring systems, are still in the development or pilot implementation stages.