Kazakhstan's Atbasar District fortifies villages against devastating floods
Atbasar District in Kazakhstan has taken major steps to prevent flooding after years of repeated damage. Eight of its 16 at-risk villages, including Atbasar, Zhangeldy and Bestamak, faced severe flooding between 2022 and 2024—particularly from the Nura River. Now, with nearly all prevention work finished, authorities have invested billions to strengthen defences before the next flood season. The district's flood prevention plan includes 29 key measures, backed by a budget of 288 million tenge. One of the largest projects involved dredging, widening and straightening the Zhabay Riverbed, along with building a new protective dam. This work alone cost 9.8 billion tenge.
Near the villages of Koluton and Stary Koluton, reinforcements along the Koluton River are underway at a cost of 5 billion tenge. Meanwhile, a 7.7-kilometre drainage canal near the Irchenko railway station bridge is being expanded to 34 metres wide and 4 metres deep. A new embankment at the 976th kilometre of the Almaty–Yekaterinburg highway now redirects steppe runoff into the Uzynkol River channel. To handle snowmelt, the city introduced a shared-responsibility model for snow removal, involving both residents and municipal services. These efforts have already diverted 90% of meltwater away from populated areas. Officials also stockpiled 39,000 sandbags filled with inert material as an extra precaution.
With most flood prevention work now complete, Atbasar District has significantly reduced its vulnerability. The combination of river reinforcements, drainage upgrades and community-led snow removal aims to protect villages that have suffered repeated flooding. The measures will be tested in the coming seasons.
