Kazakhstan Remains Vulnerable to Mudflows, Deputy Says

Kazakhstan remains vulnerable to mudflows, and its emergency warning system is working poorly, deputy Abutalip Muktali said, Orda.kz reports.

He said 17 mudflow incidents have been recorded in the country in recent years, but there is still no systemic protection and no clear assessment of the risks.

Many of our regions remain defenseless against mudflows, and we have simply been lucky that this has not led to tragic consequences.  the deputy said.

He also noted that in recent years only one major project has been implemented — the Ayusai dam in Almaty — while other dangerous regions remain without proper protection. Warning systems cover only about 50% of the population. This means that almost half of the country may not receive an alert in the event of an emergency.

Such savings on mudflow protection may one day backfire. In conditions where half of the population does not receive timely warning, the risks only increase

In addition, the country does not have a full-fledged forecasting system using artificial intelligence, and existing solutions work only in isolated areas. The deputy therefore called for the development of a single state program for targeted protection, an assessment of potential damage after emergencies, increased funding, and full population coverage by warning systems.

Original author: Alina Elgeldina

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