Crossroads Asia | Environment | Central Asia
Following the 2025 regional drought, Kazakhstan authorities have warned about below-average reservoir levels and the possibility for summer shortages.
Four regions in Kazakhstan may face water shortages in 2026, a product of the lingering effects of the 2025 regional drought, according to Kazakh Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
As reported by Vlast.kz, during a government meeting this week Nurzhigitov warned that low water levels are expected in the Syr Darya, Shu, and Talas river basins, affecting three Kazakh regions – Kyzylorda, Turkestan, and Zhambyl. Almaty region, home to Kazakhstan’s largest city and also the site of Kazakhstan’s planned first nuclear power plant, may also be at risk of water shortages this year.
This is not Nurzhigitov’s first warning. In January, he sounded the alarm, noting that the water volume in southern Kazakhstan’s reservoirs was 1.9 billion cubic meters lower than in January 2025.
