Kazakhstan and the Netherlands Collaborate to Enhance Flood Risk Management
The key stakeholders engaged in water and flood management from the Netherlands and Kazakhstan, including representatives from the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Institute of Geography and Water Security and others, convened for training on 26 August 2024 to exchange information and technology aimed at improving flood risk management (FRM) in Kazakhstan.
The event was part of an ongoing partnership between the two countries, following bilateral memorandums of understanding signed earlier this year, emphasizing continued water management cooperation. The primary goal of this collaboration is to ensure that Kazakh institutions can effectively utilize advanced FRM information technologies to anticipate, respond to, and adapt to flood hazards.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Central Asia, Nicolaas Schermers, who attended the event, underscored the significance of the training. “The goal of this training is to focus on further cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands in water management. Kazakhstan experienced tremendous floods, and the Dutch government offered to support Kazakhstan with expertise. Experts were sent to work with Kazakh specialists on mitigating the effects of the floods. It was also decided, especially during the Dutch Prime Minister’s visit to Kazakhstan in May, that we would continue this cooperation. Today, further experts from the Netherlands are here to work with Kazakh authorities to implement platforms that will better prepare them for future floods, help predict water levels, and take necessary measures to mitigate the effects,” he said.
Mr. Huthoff stressed that the flood risk management covers many aspects, it involves preparation in advance of a disaster, response during the event, and long-term planning, such as getting your infrastructure right and moving valuable assets out of risky areas. He also noted that to address these different phases, a platform is needed, namely a collection of data and tailor-made tools to deal with these various challenges.
This collaboration marks a continuation of the support provided by the Netherlands during the emergency phase in April. The Dutch Disaster Risk Reduction and Surge Support (DRRS) team worked closely with Kazakh authorities to map and anticipate the floods. The focus is moving from immediate response to long-term solutions, with plans for further collaboration and the operational implementation of FRM technologies later in 2024.