Securing water resources is a complicated issue in Kazakhstan. Only 36% of Kazakhstan’s rural population has access to a centralized water supply and 57.3% use groundwater accessed by wells and boreholes. The groundwater quality must be monitored to minimize health risks. The aim of this project is to investigate the groundwater quality in the Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan. Groundwater depletion, pollution, waterlogging, and salinization are all widespread in Kazakhstan. Previously, 500 self-flowing and, within this project, 204 wells were investigated in southern Kazakhstan, the Zhambyl region. The field works and data processing was carried out in three phases: first, a fieldwork survey of existing water wells; the second phase, field work with more detailed hydrogeological investigations, including measurements of flow rates, pH, temperature, and electrical conductivity of water samples; the third phase, processing, and analysis of field data samples in chemical laboratories. Kazakhstan’s requirements for drinking water are much lower than the requirements in the EU. Less than 30% of Kazakhstan’s population has access to safe water and about 50% of the population consumes drinking water that does not meet international standards of salinity, hardness, or bacteriological levels.

The assessment of natural resources and the ecological demand for underground water in Kazakhstan is based on a water-balance equation which considers underground lateral flow, hydrogeoecological regions and river basins. We propose a methodology to estimate the underground water resource for this region. The flow of water in all the rivers of Kazakhstan is estimated at 102.3 km³/year, of which 57.6 km³/year originates in the territory of the country, and 44.7 km³/year in the adjacent countries. With potential increase of the underground water usage up to 15.5 km³/year, the surface water volume could be decreased to 5 km³/year. Optimization of water resource use should be based on the introduction of the water-efficient process of reinjecting and recycling the water supply in all branches of industry, and a reduction in losses during distribution.

Water resources are scarce and difficult to manage in Kazakhstan, Central Asia (CA). Anthropic activities largely eliminated the Aral Sea. Afghanistan’s large-scale canal construction may eliminate life in the main stream of the Amu Darya River, CA. Kazakhstan’s HYRASIA ONE project, with a EUR 50 billion investment to produce green hydrogen, is targeted to withdraw water from the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan, CA, requires sustainable programs that integrate both decision-makers’ and people’s behavior. For this paper, the authors investigated groundwater resources for sustainable use, including for consumption, and the potential for natural “white” hydrogen production from underground geological “factories”. Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources, such as iron-rich rocks, minerals, and uranium, which are necessary for serpentinization reactions and radiolysis decay in natural hydrogen production from underground water. Investigations of underground geological “factories” require substantial efforts in field data collection. A chemical analysis of 40 groundwater samples from the 97 wells surveyed and investigated in the T. Ryskulov, Zhambyl, Baizak and Zhualy districts of the Zhambyl region in South Kazakhstan in 2021–2022 was carried out. These samples were compared with previously collected water samples from the years 2020–2021. The compositions of groundwater samples were analyzed, revealing various concentrations of different minerals, natural geological rocks, and anthropogenic materials. South Kazakhstan is rich in natural mineral resources. As a result, mining companies extract resources in the Taraz–Zhanatas–Karatau and the Shu–Novotroitsk industrial areas. The most significant levels of minerals found in water samples were found in the territory of the Talas–Assinsky interfluve, where the main industrial mining enterprises are concentrated and the largest groundwater deposits have been explored. Groundwater compositions have direct connections to geological rocks. The geological rocks are confined to sandstones, siltstones, porphyrites, conglomerates, limestones, and metamorphic rocks. In observation wells, a number of components can be found in high concentrations (mg/L): sulfates—602.0 (MPC 500 mg/L); sodium—436.5 (MPC 200 mg/L); chlorine—465.4 (MPC 350 mg/L); lithium—0.18 (MPC 0.03 mg/L); boron—0.74 (MPC 0.5 mg/L); cadmium—0.002 (MPC 0.001 mg/L); strontium—15, 0 (MPC 7.0 mg/L); and TDS—1970 (MPC 1000). The high mineral contents in the water are natural and comprise minerals from geological sources, including iron-rich rocks, to uranium. Proper groundwater classifications for research investigations are required to separate potable groundwater resources, wells, and areas where underground geological “factories” producing natural “white” hydrogen could potentially be located. Our preliminary investigation results are presented with the aim of creating a large-scale targeted program to improve water sustainability in Kazakhstan, CA.

Climate change from anthropogenic activities had resulted in devastating disruptions in Kazakhstan. This includes drought in 2023 and flooding in 2024, with widespread water pollution. The field surveys and water-soil sampling were carried out in 2013 to study West Kazakhstan’s (WK) groundwater and soil. From this, preliminary classifications were made. The water was categorized into three groups: (1) potable household, (2) technical irrigation, and (3) unsuitable for use. WK is under intensive oil and gas exploration and processing activities, thus, groundwater in the region faces contamination risks. As a result, proper, permanent groundwater quality monitoring is needed. Along with these efforts, the groundwater and soil samples were collected and analyzed. This included measuring for different anions and cations concentration, hydrogen ions pH concentration, total dissolved salts (TDS), total water hardness С, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and sodium content (SC). The Piper and Durov Diagrams illustrate water-soil quality. The WK region was categorized into three groups by the water-soil quality outputs; the (1) group of the WK North-East region with the smallest salinity level, suitable for the household use; the (2) group of the WK South-East, suitable for irrigation, as technical water, which is unsuitable as the potable water and requires purifications for the household needs; the (3) group of the WK North-West, unsuitable for irrigation and high salt content, which requires substantial purification for the household or irrigation use. Among the salinity chemistry levels, the most common are chloride-sulfate, soda-sulfate, sulfate-soda by anions; next sodium and sodium-calcium by cations. Soda-saline lands were identified in some areas of the WK region. The upgrading of melioration for sufficient water quality improvement will require substantial efforts. The content of petroleum products in some soil samples significantly exceeds the maximum permissible concentration. A further, more detailed investigation is required with more permanent soil water monitoring efforts, especially following the recent flooding events.

Ensuring water resources for livestock production in Kazakhstan presents a multifaceted challenge. Pastoral systems in Southern Kazakhstan are facing a critical groundwater shortage, with 56.5% of pastures currently unused due to limited water access, jeopardizing around 2 million head of livestock and the region’s food security. This study presents the first comprehensive groundwater assessment in over 40 years, integrating hydrochemical analysis (55 samples) and field surveys conducted in the Almaty and Zhetysu regions. Key findings include: the total water demand for livestock is estimated at 53,735 thousand m³/year, with approximately 40% of samples exceeding WHO guidelines for total mineralization. It was determined that 45% of exploitable groundwater reserves in the Almaty region and 15–17% in the Zhetysu region are suitable for irrigation. This study also provides updated hydrogeological data, identifying three priority aquifer systems. A novel Groundwater Sustainability Index for pastoral zones of Central Asia is introduced, demonstrating that strategic aquifer development could expand watered pastureland by 30–40%. These findings directly inform Kazakhstan’s Agricultural Development Plan through 2030 and provide a replicable framework for sustainable water management in arid regions. With 69,836 rural residents currently lacking access to safe water, our results underscore the urgent need for infrastructure investment to meet SDG 6 targets (ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all).

Groundwater is a strategically important source of drinking water supply in the arid and rural regions of Kazakhstan. The objective of this study is to assess the quality of groundwater at 11 water intakes located in the Kordai, Shu, and Merke Districts of the Shu transboundary basin in the Zhambyl Region. A comprehensive assessment of physicochemical parameters was performed, including concentrations of nitrates, sulfates, chlorides, iron, manganese, and other constituents, with subsequent comparison against regulatory limits defined by Order No. 26 of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan (dated 20 February 2023), GOST standards, and ST RK ISO standards. The findings revealed that a number of water intakes exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations for specific indicators, especially in areas subject to significant anthropogenic pressure. The most vulnerable sources were identified near settlements characterized by intensive agricultural practices and inadequate wastewater treatment systems. Spatial comparison of the results enabled the identification of potentially contaminated areas as well as aquifer zones suitable for drinking water supply. The study emphasizes the importance of regular groundwater monitoring and spatial analysis techniques (GIS) to enhance the reliability and comprehensiveness of water quality assessments. The data obtained in this study can serve as a basis for informed decision-making in the area of water resource protection and contribute to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6)—to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.