Kazakhstan modernizes 4,600 km of irrigation canals, plans 14,500 km by 2030

September 3, 2026 at 10:57 AM2 min

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Kazakhstan is modernizing more than 4,600 km of irrigation canals and plans to reach 14,500 km by 2030, the government press service reported. The program also includes building 42 new reservoirs and reconstructing 37 existing ones. The share of canals with concrete lining is to rise from 18% to 50%.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan plans to modernize 14,500 km of irrigation canals by 2030, increasing the share with concrete lining from 18% to 50%.
In 2024–2025, Kazakhstan reconstructed and modernized more than 1,400 km of canals and completed 22 drinking water supply projects covering 321 settlements with about 945,000 residents.
The country plans to build 42 new reservoirs and reconstruct 37 existing ones; five reservoirs were already modernized in 2024–2025 in Aktobe, Turkestan, West Kazakhstan, Abai, and Zhetysu regions.
Investment in fixed capital of the water sector reached 677 billion tenge in 2024–2025, a 79% increase over the previous two years, according to Water Resources Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
In 2025, farmers applied water-saving technologies on more than 500,000 hectares, saving over 800 million cubic meters of water.

Canal Modernization

More than 4,600 km of irrigation canals are currently under modernization across Kazakhstan, with 962 km scheduled for completion in 2026. The government aims to reach 14,500 km of modernized canals by 2030 and raise the share of concrete-lined networks from 18% to 50%. Mechanical cleaning of canals increased from 678 km in 2023 to over 1,100 km in 2024 and more than 1,800 km in 2025. The reconstruction of the Kanysh Satpayev Canal, strategic for water supply to Central Kazakhstan including Astana, began in 2025. The Big Almaty Canal named after Dinmukhamed Kunayev will be modernized in three stages, enabling irrigation of 33,300 hectares of farmland.

Reservoir Construction

Kazakhstan plans to build 42 new reservoirs and reconstruct 37 existing ones to strengthen water security. Two reservoirs in Turkestan region are nearing completion, and construction has started on three more in Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, and West Kazakhstan regions. Five reservoirs were modernized in 2024–2025 in Aktobe, Turkestan, West Kazakhstan, Abai, and Zhetysu regions.

Drinking Water and Investment

Twelve additional drinking water projects will improve access for 142 rural settlements with about 540,000 residents. Investment in the water sector reached 677 billion tenge in 2024–2025, up 79% from the previous two years, according to Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov. Water-saving technologies were applied on over 500,000 hectares in 2025, saving more than 800 million cubic meters of water.