ALMATY – Kazakhstan signed an agreement on Aug. 4 to develop a nationwide flood and drought early warning system, signaling a broader shift from responding to water emergencies toward anticipating them. The early warning system is expected to combine hydrological data with information on water infrastructure to improve monitoring of flood and drought risks nationwide. According to Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, water conservation has become a new model for managing Kazakhstan’s water resources rather than a standalone policy direction. “Water conservation is no longer a separate area of work but a new model of water resources management,” he said. Taken together, the agreements suggest Kazakhstan’s water reforms are entering a new phase.