Kazakhstan should finish negotiations with China on watershed — Senate member

AKIPRESS.COM - Kazakhstan should complete the negotiations with China on watershed and elimination of disputes on some terms of the draft agreement, a member of the Senate Kairat Kozhomzharov said at the parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, Vlast.kz reports.
According to him, 44% of river runoff in Kazakhstan makes transborder water with China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
All of these countries have an agreements signed 10-20 years ago that require renewal and concretizing on key areas, he noted.
The parliamentarian said that reduction of the river runoff on the Ili and Ertis Rivers from the Chinese side causes threat to the Kazakh side.
"Kazakhstan had to resume the necessary processes on transborder water use several decades years ago," he noted.
"The problems with China are connected with a large reduction of river runoff on the Ili and Ertiz Rivers due to the demographic growth and economic development of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This poses a threat to the water level in the Balkhash Lake and large industrial facilities in Irtysh, which is the foundation of the country. Therefore, negotiations with China on watershed should be finished," the Senate member said.