Kazakhstan’s position on water relations with neighboring countries

There are 24 transboundary rivers between China and Kazakhstan, and all of their mainstreams flow to form a clear upstream-downstream relationship. In this water-scarcity zone, the transboundary flow of water is limited. Therefore, negotiating water use and allocation becomes a formidable task that regularly runs into impediments. Nevertheless, the realities of water scarcity, river basin ecological conservation, and rising development in Sino-Kazakh transboundary river basins have sparked the stimulation of water allocation cooperation. Although both parties have reached a general framework agreement on the “principle of equity and rationality” in the use and protection of all 24 transboundary rivers, there are still operational challenges in both countries’ management of transboundary water resources that must be overcome in order to achieve the goal of equitable distribution of interstate water resources.

Below is a video clip published by the Asia News Agency, which presents Kazakhstan’s position on the effective use and management of the transboundary rivers with neighboring countries.