Kazakhstan and the Netherlands develop early warning system for droughts and floods

Kazakhstan is developing a national early warning system for floods and droughts that will also integrate data on the country’s water infrastructure. The project will be based on the Delft-FEWS platform developed by the Dutch institute Deltares.

The technology has already been deployed across 11 river catchments. By the end of 2026, coverage is expected to expand to 16 basins.

Drought monitoring is a separate focus of the project. Kazakh specialists have already identified the required indicators and started automating calculations, while also learning to use satellite imagery to monitor the condition of water bodies.

The project also includes training for local specialists, platform configuration and the creation of a unified information base for forecasting. Experts are currently verifying data and refining calculations to improve forecast accuracy ahead of the season.

The system is expected to help Kazakhstan assess water shortage and flood risks earlier, which is particularly important for agriculture and irrigation amid increasingly unstable weather conditions.

Tags: weather conditions, Kazakhstan, drought, Netherlands