Kazakhstan has proposed a new regional cooperation initiative with Russia against the backdrop of the historical decline in the water level of the Caspian Sea. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This was announced by the country's Deputy Prime Minister Bolat Bekniyaz. According to him, the Kazakh side is proposing to establish a special working group to jointly manage the Volga River.
It is known that approximately 80 percent of the water flowing into the Caspian Sea comes from the Volga River. However, since the Volga is not officially included in the list of transboundary rivers, there is no official agreement regarding this river between Russia and other countries.
Experts emphasize that if the water level continues to decline, it poses a serious threat not only to Kazakhstan and Russia but also to the entire Central Asian region's water security. In particular, the water interests of Kazakhstan's Atyrau and Mangistau regions, Turkmenistan's infrastructure on the Caspian coast, and Uzbekistan's connections through the Amu Darya may be at risk.
For additional information, the Volga River flows into the Caspian Sea downstream near the city of Astrakhan in Russia. Therefore, the joint management and coordination of water resources is of vital importance for the ecological and economic stability of the Central Asian region.
