The problem of effective water supply using natural energy resources of water in modern conditions is promising and relevant, the solution of which is rationally carried out from watercourses with the necessary standard sizes of a hydraulic ram pumping unit, the design of which has a novelty. At the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University conducted applied research to improve the efficiency of water supply from watercourses in the system of irrigation of lands and irrigation of pastures of peasant and farm farms of the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan through the development of an improved hydraulic ram pumping unit with an increase in its energy indicators: hydraulic shock pressure, supply, pressure and efficiency. This article presents a calculation to substantiate the economic efficiency of the studies carried out on the use of the necessary standard sizes of an improved hydraulic ram pumping unit (NUV-7-12 and NUV-17-20) for water supply to peasant and farm farms of the Republic of Kazakhstan and irrigation of lands located in areas of adjacent watercourses, compared with basic pumping units (AN - 2K - 9 - M1 and ANS-60 D).

Seasonal snow is a critical water resource in Northern Kazakhstan, where spring snowmelt dominates surface runoff and agricultural water supply. However, traditional rainwater harvesting frameworks often neglect snow water equivalent (SWE), limiting their applicability in cold, snow-dominated steppe environments. This study develops an integrated remote sensing and GIS-based approach to identify potential sites for spring runoff harvesting. Using Sentinel-2 imagery, snow cover fraction (SCF) was derived and combined with a digital elevation model (DEM) to estimate snow depth through a quadratic regression model, validated against in situ data from 23 meteorological stations. Snow water equivalent was then calculated by incorporating field-measured snow density. Alongside SWE, six additional parameters—slope, drainage density, land use/land cover (LULC), and soil texture (sand, silt, clay)—were integrated within an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) multi-criteria decision analysis. Results show that SWE, drainage density, and LULC collectively contributed 75% of the weight in site suitability, underscoring their dominant role in snowmelt-driven hydrology. The final suitability map indicates that 28.03% of the region falls into the “Very High” class, concentrated in central and northwestern districts. Developing just 30% of these potential zones could yield approximately 4.2 × 10⁸ m³ of usable meltwater, supporting up to 105,000 ha under full irrigation or 280,000 ha under deficit irrigation. The study demonstrates that integrating high-resolution SWE with MCDA provides a scalable framework for enhancing agricultural resilience, mitigating floods, and strengthening water security in cold, semi-arid landscapes.

As part of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” (2018–2028), assessing the water and irrigation potential of river basin catchment areas is essential for sustainable water use and agricultural development. This study assesses the water and irrigation potential of the Karatal River Basin in the Zhetysu Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan using trend analysis of climatic and hydrological indicators considered as functions of time, providing a basis for forecasting. Source data for this study were obtained from yearbooks published by the “Kazhydromet” and from the regional water management organization “Kazvodkhoz”. Analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of climatic and hydrological indicators revealed both stochastic and deterministic components, with the latter expressed as significant trends, providing a basis for assessing the water and irrigation potential of river basin catchments. For the entire period from 1966 to 2024, the estimated total increase in the average annual air temperature at the meteorological stations under study, determined based on a linear trend, ranged from 1.444 to 6.078 °C. Annual precipitation showed mixed trends, with linear trend coefficients ranging from −2.916 to +1.989 mm/year. The estimated total decrease in the average annual flow of the Karatal River, determined based on a linear trend over the same period, was 15.658 m³/s at the Ushtobe hydrological station and 31.575 m³/s at the Naimansuek station. The river discharge decrease occurred against a backdrop of rising average annual air temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns, which affected the components of the basin’s water balance, including river discharge and evaporation. Based on the identified trends and indicators of the spatial organization of water use, the water availability of the Karatal River Basin was assessed using the water stress index and the per capita water availability indicator—the Falkenmark index. The volume of available water resources per capita ranged from 32.233 to 5.872 thousand m³ per person per year in the Eskeldi District and from 87.826 to 44.814 thousand m³ per person per year in the Karatal District. The water stress index ranged from 21.130% to 13.096% and from 19.10% to 2.848%, respectively, indicating water stress levels ranging from moderately high to moderately low and from moderately low to low. An assessment of trends in the dynamics of climatic and hydrological indicators, as well as criteria for water resource availability, revealed differences in the structure of water use among administrative districts.