POLITICS | 14:31 / 10.10.2024
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Northern Aral Sea sees significant water supply growth, boosting fishing industry

For the first time in five years, the plan to supply water to the northern part of the Aral Sea during the irrigation period has been nearly fully accomplished, reaching almost 100%, according to Zeynolla Kaztoghanov, Deputy Head of the Aral-Syr Darya Basin Inspectorate of Kazakhstan.

Photo: primeminister.kz

Kaztoghanov reported that 977 million cubic meters of water have been directed to the northern Aral Sea so far this year, a significant increase from previous years when only 350-400 million cubic meters were supplied. By the end of 2024, an additional 500 million cubic meters of water are expected to be released into the sea.

"The current water volume in the Northern Aral Sea stands at 22 billion cubic meters. In previous irrigation periods, water flowed into the sea at a rate of 7-10 cubic meters per second, but this year it has surged to 60-70 cubic meters per second," Kaztoghanov said.

In addition to the water supplied to the Aral Sea, over 45 million cubic meters of water were directed to the Akshatau, Sorgak, and Kamystybash lakes. This has positively impacted local fishing and tourism industries, according to the Kazakh Prime Minister’s website. The decrease in the salinity of the Aral Sea has contributed to a rise in fish populations. After the sea's desiccation, fishermen were catching only 400 tons of fish annually; today, that figure has risen to 7.5-8 thousand tons.

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