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Meeting of the Chairman of the 57th session of the United Nations General Assembly with the founder of the International Fund for the Revival of the Caspian-Aral Basin Ecosystem and Flood Management
Astana, November 27-28, 2023, a meeting was held between the Chairman of the 57th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Ian Kavan, and the founder of the International Fund for the Revival of the Caspian-Aral Basin Ecosystem and Flood Management (hereinafter referred to as the Fund), Zhanbolat Nadyrov, on the issues of reviving the ecosystem of the Republic and the internal development of water resources. The meeting was initiated by the foundation as part of the implementation of the Head of State’s addresses to the people.
The ICABER-FM Charitable Foundation (International Foundation for the Revival of the Caspian-Aral Basin Ecosystem and Flood Management) was created to save the ecosystems of the Caspian and Aral basins and minimize the consequences of floods in the region.
The disappearance of the Aral Sea is one of the most destructive man-made disasters in the history of the world. Rusting shipwrecks and salt marsh fields stretching into the horizon in a place once hidden by sea waves.
The drying up of the sea has critically affected the climate of the region; at a distance of up to 100 km from the former coastline, the weather has become more continental: summers are drier and hotter, winters are colder and longer. From the dried part of the former seabed, winds carry large quantities of dust containing sea salts, pesticides and other chemicals to nearby regions. (https://icaber.kz/)
At the meeting, Mr. Ian Kavan was approved as the Ambassador of the International Fund for the Revival of the Caspian-Aral Basin Ecosystem and Flood Management.
“This is a special moment for me, and I am proud to be given the opportunity to become an ambassador of the ICABER-FM Charitable Foundation (International Foundation for the Revival of the Caspian-Aral Basin Ecosystem and Flood Management).
My goal is to make the Foundation more famous internationally and attract socially responsible partners from all over the world. I believe that Kazakhstan, with its rich and unique nature, provides an excellent platform for solving environmental problems through joint efforts.
In addition, through these joint efforts, we will be able to achieve significant results in the areas of environmental protection and sustainable development.” – Mr. Ian Kavan noted in his speech.
Also discussed were such topics as the development of flood waters of the Yesil River by transferring it to the Torgai River, Lake Shalkarteniz and further to the Aral Sea, the development of flood waters of the Irtysh River with maintaining the water level in Lake Balkhash, the Shu and Syrdarya rivers and further to the Aral Sea, and also the construction of hydraulic structures (dams/dams, reservoirs, canals, etc.) – for maximum development of flood waters.
At the initiative of the Foundation, from 10/8/2023 to 10/13/2023, headed by the head of the department of “Water Resources Management” of the Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Water Management, Professor Orazkhan Karlykhanov, a reconnaissance survey of the future route for transferring the flow of northern rivers to the south of Kazakhstan was organized, which aims to protect natural resources, restore and protect the region’s ecosystems, restore biodiversity, improve water resources and preserve flora and fauna.
“This project is a complex research and engineering project that requires careful planning and environmental impact assessment. To scientifically substantiate the project, we attracted the only scientific research institute in Kazakhstan – KazNIIVH LLP (Kazakh Research Institute of Water Management),” explained Zhanbolat Nadyrov.
The parties agreed on further active interaction on all important issues, which emphasizes the strategic importance of this partnership in the field of water resources.
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An expedition is planned along the route of the Torgai – Yrgyz – Syrdariya rivers for reconnaissance survey of the route of internal transfer of the flow of northern rivers to the south of Kazakhstan
Travel plan along the route of the rivers Torgai – Yrgyz – Syrdariya for reconnaissance survey of the route of internal transfer of the flow of northern rivers to the south of Kazakhstan
The reconnaissance survey includes surveys of rivers and their basins with familiarization with hydrographic and cartographic materials, route surveys of rivers with a description of the banks, floodplain, riverbed and structures on the river; establishing markers of the maximum historical level in the wake of past floods or surveys of old-timers; the choice of the location of the planned alignments; processing of field materials, as well as a description of the thalweg, gullies, slopes of the river valley, the hydrographic network, the conditions of its nutrition, vegetation, soils, etc.
Survey result. Data will be obtained on hydrography, hydrology and the current state of the existing river network along the route of the transfer channel, infrastructure, existing obstacles to the water flow, lake systems and artificial hydraulic facilities, agricultural development of adjacent territories, with the issuance of a conclusion on the possibility of implementing a project to transfer the flow of northern rivers to the south Kazakhstan – in the basin of the Syrdarya River and the Small Aral. Also, the draft terms of reference for the phased implementation of research will be substantiated, which include geological, hydrogeological and topographic surveys, the development of a feasibility study and design and estimate documentation for the transfer of flow.