A working meeting on developing a Master Plan for preserving the Lake Balkhash ecosystem was held in Astana. The project is being implemented jointly with the French Development Agency and the French Bureau of Geological and Mining Research. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
French experts presented interim results of their studies. They assessed the state of agriculture in the basin, hydrology, the contribution of glacial runoff, interaction between surface and groundwater, and modeling of water resource distribution. A scenario for the development of the water management situation of Balkhash was compiled up to 2040.
Following the meeting, the parties combined the research results into a unified system for assessing the Balkhash catchment area and identified priorities for further work.
"By the end of 2026, integration of research results and preparation of the final document are planned. The Master Plan will become the scientific basis for making long-term decisions to preserve the Lake Balkhash ecosystem," said Kairatgali Khairulla, Chairman of the Board of the Information and Analytical Center for Water Resources.
Recall that the Agency for Atomic Energy confirmed that active construction of the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan will start in 2027. It will be called "Balkhash." Construction will take place near the village of Ulken (Almaty region) on the shore of Lake Balkhash. The project is being implemented by a consortium led by the Russian corporation Rosatom. The facility is expected to be commissioned in 2035-2036.