Kazakhstan introduces water use limits in south amid irrigation risksThe Kazakh government has approved water use limits in the country’s southern regions to ensure a stable growing season, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhigitov said.“The 2026 growing season in the southern regions may face risks, particularly in the Aral-Syrdarya and Shu-Talas basins. (...) In the current situation, there is an urgent need for more active introduction of water-saving technologies, as well as for reducing the area of water-intensive crops,” Nurzhigitov said at a government meeting on Tuesday.The government working group has set water use limits at 3.2 cubic kilometers for the Kyzylorda region, 2.1 cubic kilometers for the Almaty region, 1.8 cubic kilometers for the Zhetysu region, 1.2 cubic kilometers for the Zhambyl region and 3.8 cubic kilometers for the Turkestan region.According to the minister, the volume of the Toktogul Reservoir in Kyrgyzstan is 1.5 cubic kilometers lower than a year earlier. The reservoir is expected to switch to accumulation mode at the start of the growing season, which could negatively affect water supplies through the Dostyk canal for the needs of the Maktaaral and Zhetysai districts of the Turkestan region in Kazakhstan.“In view of the above, it is advisable for regional administrations to strictly adhere to water intake limits, including limits for rice sowing. In the Turkestan region, rice planting via the Dostyk canal should be excluded; via the Kyzylkum canal, it should not exceed 3,500 hectares [under rice]; and in the Kyzylorda region, it should not exceed 70,000 hectares,” the minister said.As of February 18, water reservoirs in the southern regions had accumulated 23.4 billion cubic meters of water, which is 759 million cubic meters less than in the same period last year, he said. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX