Kazakh President Tokayev urges new minister to work with Central Asian nations on water management

ASTANA. Sept 7 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday, the president's press service said in a statement.

Tokayev at the meeting noted the importance of establishing cooperation with Central Asian countries in order to address water management concerns. The ministry has been assigned to implement full-scale modernization of the water management infrastructure and use digital technologies for water metering and distribution.

Tokayev stressed the need to adopt a new Water Code in order to tackle issues like unsustainable usage of water resources and the deterioration of hydraulic structures.

Tokayev ordered Nurzhigitov to restore the National Hydrogeological Service and transform subordinate organizations.

The Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry was reorganized as the Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry on September 1, and Nurzhigitov, the former governor of the Zhambyl Region, was appointed as head of the new ministry.