Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes: Kazakhstan's Senate Ratifies Water and Health Protocol
Photo: Pixabay, illustrative purposes
The Senate has approved the ratification of the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, Orda.kz reports.
Presenting the document, Senator Arman Utegulov reminded colleagues that Kazakhstan depends heavily on external water sources, with around half of its water originating beyond national borders.
We are one of the water-dependent states of Central Asia. Yet, our internal infrastructure is failing, 60–70% of water supply networks are worn out, and 40% of the rural population lacks full access to centralized water supply,
the deputy stressed.
He argued that water must be treated not only as an environmental challenge, but as a cross-sector policy issue affecting public health, economic growth, and regional stability.
The new Water Code, adopted in 2024, initiated important reforms, but it's not enough. Water quality and sanitation must meet international standards. And here, the Protocol on Water and Health plays a crucial role; it's a unique international agreement that brings together water and health issues worldwide,
Utegulov added.
Key Commitments
Under the agreement, participating countries must:
- Set measurable goals for improving drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, and public health
- Develop monitoring and early-warning systems for water-related diseases
- Prepare coordinated emergency response mechanisms
- Improve interagency cooperation on water safety and quality
- Expand public access to decision-making and information on water management
- Strengthen transboundary cooperation and international partnerships
Ratification grants Kazakhstan access to technical expertise and global best practices in drinking water treatment, wastewater disposal, and reuse, as well as joint surveillance systems and early-response planning.
The move follows President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev's signing of several bilateral agreements with Uzbekistan on November 15 in Tashkent — among them, a Supreme Interstate Council decision to establish a joint working group to forecast water flow in shared rivers.
Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya
Latest news
- Kazakhstan’s Credit Rating Upgraded for First Time in a Decade
- While Thousands Lost Power, KEGOC Executives Received Nearly Half a Billion Tenge
- Changi Airport Group May Help Build Astana’s New Airport
- US Again Extends Deadline for Lukoil to Sell Its Assets in Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan Extradites Business Manager From Russia in 290 Million Tenge Tax Case
- Released Amur Tiger Successfully Hunts in Kazakhstan’s Wild
- Kazakhstan Moves to Develop Critical Minerals as Global Competition Intensifies
- Another Performance by Kazakh Stand-Up Comedian Called Off
- Uzbekistan Begins Preparations for Second Nuclear Power Plant
- Backpack Links Glacier Remains to Man Missing for 19 Years
- 650-Hectare Wildfire Contained in Karaganda Region
- Unusual Wildlife Encounter Captured in Altyn-Emel
- Retired Border Service Dog Sold for $2 at Kazakhstan Auction
- Will Kazakhstan Have Enough Coal This Winter?
- Belarusian Hikers Find Body on Glacier Near Almaty
- Kazakhstan Investigates Spending on 242 Million Tenge Educational Game
- Kazakhstan Makes Caspian Oil Companies Pay for Counterterrorism Deployments
- Kazakhstan Faces Shortage of 245,000 School Places
- Waste Dumping Reported Near Yurt Camps at Lake Zaisan
- Kazakh Oil Rerouted to Novorossiysk as Russia Frees Baltic Export Capacity
