BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. Around 40 billion cubic meters of water flowed into Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan over the past three years, helping stabilize its water level, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Around 15.9 billion cubic meters of water flowed into the lake in 2024, followed by approximately 13.9 billion cubic meters in 2025. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 9.7 billion cubic meters have entered the lake.
Water is released into Lake Balkhash from the Kapshagai Reservoir, which regulates the flow of the transboundary Ili River. The reservoir reached 98% of its capacity in 2026, compared with 100% in each of the previous two years.
"The inflow of water from the Ili River remains at the long-term average level. This helps maintain Lake Balkhash’s water level at the optimal elevation of 341 meters according to the Baltic Height System. In addition, work is underway with French experts to develop a master plan for the conservation of Lake Balkhash through 2040. Field studies have been conducted, and the findings are being analyzed," Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said.
Located in southeastern Kazakhstan, Lake Balkhash is the country’s second-largest lake. One of its distinctive features is that its western part contains fresh water, while its eastern part is saline. Most of the water flowing into the lake comes from the Ili River. Lake Balkhash also contains more than 40 islands.
