Water Conservation and Protection of Lake Balkhash: Over 328,000 School and College Students Join “Save Water – Secure the Future!” Eco Lesson
An environmental awareness session titled “Save Water – Secure the Future!” was held at School-Gymnasium No.17 named after A. Kurmanov in Astana. The event was organized by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in cooperation with the Ministry of Education as part of the national civic education programme Adal Azamat. Among the participants were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to the Republic of Kazakhstan Sylvain Guiaugué, Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Kazakhstan Gulnoza Callens, and Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Talgat Momyshev.
Speakers highlighted the importance of water conservation, outlined current measures to protect Lake Balkhash, and spoke about the upcoming Regional Ecological Summit, which will take place in Astana from 22 to 24 April. The session also featured an interactive discussion, during which students had the opportunity to ask questions.
“The upcoming summit will bring together heads of state from Central Asia, demonstrating the importance of the regional environmental agenda. With the participation of international experts, a wide range of pressing issues will be discussed, including transboundary water cooperation. The Regional Summit will therefore provide an important platform for participating countries to exchange the latest technologies, approaches and best practices in this field,” said Vice Minister Talgat Momyshev.
The Regional Ecological Summit is an international platform aimed at bringing together Central Asian countries and global partners to address pressing environmental challenges, including climate change and sustainable natural resource management. The event is expected to gather around 1,500 participants, including representatives of international organizations, business and academia. The initiative to hold the Summit in partnership with the United Nations was announced by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2023.
In total, 250 students from grades 9-11 of School-Gymnasium No.17 participated in the session. More than 328,000 school and college students from Astana, Karaganda Region, as well as the Zhetysu and Ulytau regions joined the event online.
As part of the initiative, a scientific exhibition titled “Su EXPO” was also held, where students presented their research on topics such as household water conservation, water resource management, protection of the Yessil River, and the development of portable hydropower solutions for small rivers in Kazakhstan.
A creative exhibition titled “Shabyt Tamshysy” featured students’ artwork, alongside a French language lesson focused on water conservation.
The pilot educational project “Save Water – Secure the Future!” has been implemented since early 2025 by the Information and Analytical Center for Water Resources of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, with support from international organizations and partners. The initiative aims to promote a culture of efficient water use in Kazakhstan.