Kazakhstan and China discuss water scarcity solutions in Beijing

September 20, 2026 at 08:59 PM2 min

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Kazakh and Chinese experts met in Beijing to discuss Kazakhstan's proposals for a SCO water center and a UN water organization. The roundtable was held at the Cultural Center of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan's ambassador to China Shakhrat Nuryshev and officials from the Kazakh Foreign Ministry and SCO Secretariat attended.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan proposes creating a SCO Water Problems Research Center in Kazakhstan as a permanent scientific-expert platform.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev previously voiced the SCO water center initiative at the level of SCO heads of state.
Kazakhstan also proposes establishing an International Water Organization under the UN system.
About 70% of Central Asia's water resources are transboundary, and per capita water availability in the region has fallen by nearly 30% over the past 20 years.

SCO Water Center Proposal

Kazakhstan's first initiative envisions creating a SCO Water Problems Research Center in Kazakhstan. The center would serve as a permanent scientific-expert platform for analyzing water risks and seeking joint solutions. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev previously raised this idea at the level of SCO heads of state, linking it to shared climate threats such as droughts, desertification, shrinking water bodies, and melting glaciers. The platform's practical tasks extend beyond water scarcity to scientific research, data and technology exchange, rational water use, and solutions for countries sharing water systems.

UN Water Organization Initiative

Kazakhstan's broader proposal is to establish an International Water Organization within the UN system. Tokayev detailed this initiative at the Regional Environmental Summit, arguing that a separate international structure could improve coherence in global water governance. The initiative moves water beyond an environmental agenda, linking access to water resources with agriculture, food and energy security, urban development, and economic resilience. In Central Asia, water shortages in one country can affect agriculture, energy, and water supply in neighboring states.

China's Role in Dialogue

Beijing was chosen for the discussion because Kazakhstan and China already cooperate on transboundary water resources. Both sides link further cooperation to rational water use, infrastructure modernization, digital technologies, and scientific research. Tokayev has previously drawn the government's attention to opportunities for cooperation with China on water-saving technologies.