Kazakhstan orders major firms to adopt water-saving plansKazakhstan will require major businesses to introduce five-year water-saving plans as a...

Kazakhstan orders major firms to adopt water-saving plans
Kazakhstan will require major businesses to introduce five-year water-saving plans as authorities warn that worsening shortages could threaten not only the environment but also the country's economy.

The move forms part of a broader effort to reduce water losses and improve efficiency as pressure on water resources intensifies.

For years, water conservation in Kazakhstan has been closely linked to agriculture, which accounts for 60% of the country's total water consumption. Yet the sector has also become one of the clearest examples of how efficiency measures can be scaled up. Water-saving technologies, once used on just 30,000 hectares, are now expanding by around 150,000 hectares annually. By 2030, authorities expect that figure to reach 1.3 million hectares.

The government is now seeking to extend a similar approach to industry. According to Zhanibek Nabiev, head of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation's Department of Industrial Water-Saving Technologies, businesses are entering the final stage of a transition period that will make long-term planning compulsory.

“This year marks the completion of the transition period in industry, and by 2027 all enterprises must develop five-year plans to reduce water consumption, account for losses and introduce water reuse technologies,” he said.