Kazakhstan and France signed a trilateral agreement on the Lake Balkhash protection, El.kz reports citing the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The document was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Bureau of Geological and Mining Research. The agreement provides for grant financing in the amount of 1.35 million euros for the development of a master plan for the management of water resources of Lake Balkhash until 2040.
The French side will conduct a large-scale study of the lake basin, including an analysis of the state of water, modeling of climatic and anthropogenic impacts, as well as forecasting the water balance. One of the key tasks will be to optimize the operation of the Kapchagai reservoir to maintain a stable water level in the lake.
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov noted that the project provides for measures to clean rivers, prevent soil degradation and water pollution, develop fisheries and ecotourism, as well as create a regulatory framework for the protection of the lake.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Water Resources and BRGM will strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of sustainable water management, becoming an important step in preserving one of the main natural resources of Kazakhstan.