Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov summed up the results of implementation of the first stage of the Aral Sea preservation project, Kazinform News Agency reports.

“The volume of water in the sea increased by 42% having reached 27 billion cubic meters. Water salinity level reduced almost fourfold, while the annual fishery volumes reached nearly 8,000 tons,” the minister said at a meeting with the residents of the Aral district of Kyzylorda region.

The meeting also discussed the issue of implementation of the project’s second stage.

In line with the Kazakhstani President’s instruction, the ministry has developed a project on “Regional Development and Restoration of the North Aral Sea”

The project focuses on three areas: increasing the volumes and efficiency of water accumulation in the North Aral Sea, improvement of water resources management, fishery and eco-tourism development, and improvement of the region’s ecological situation.

2.6 billion of water was directed to the Aral Sea in 2024, and 1 billion cubic meters during the irrigation period.

This became possible due to proper redistribution of the Syrdarya river water and its saving, the minister stressed. In 2022, the Aral Sea received only 816 million cubic meters of water.

“These figures are a result of systemic work conducted in the past two years. We have achieved mutual understanding with the neighbor countries in saving and fair distribution of water resources in the transboundary rivers. The goal of the Aral Sea preservation project is, first of all, to improve the ecological situation in the region, to develop fishery and tourism, and to improve the people’s wellbeing,” Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said.