The unprecedented floods of 2024 affected large areas of Kazakhstan, including settlements and agricultural zones, and highlighted significant gaps in flood preparedness, dam safety and early warning systems. Many dams in Kazakhstan are ageing and require improved monitoring, surveillance and operational procedures to respond effectively to increasing flood risks associated with climate change.

The Project aims to strengthen Kazakhstan’s flood resilience by improving dam safety and flood preparedness. It will support the development and operationalization of a National Monitoring System for the safety of hydrotechnical structures and integrate dams into the country’s national flood management and preparedness system.

The Project will focus on dam integrity, monitoring and surveillance, reservoir operation and early warning. It will also introduce digital monitoring and automation solutions and integrate relevant dam information into the National Water Information System.

Project Objectives:

• Develop a national dam flood and safety management concept;

• Pilot the assessment of selected dams using the new flood and safety management approach;

• Introduce monitoring and dam surveillance systems, including early warning communication and automation;

• Implement a demonstration pilot of an Early Warning System (EWS) for a dam, with potential for further scaling up;

• Integrate dam integrity, monitoring, surveillance and reservoir operation information into the National Water Information System.