Kazakhstan Looks to Close Water-Management Deal with China

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources is engaging in negotiations with China over water usage of the region’s increasingly stressed rivers. Astana has established a 20-member working group to haggle with Chinese officials over a water-distribution framework covering approximately 20 cross-border rivers, including the Irtysh and Ili. According to a ministry statement, the two states have already agreed on a number of points as of late December. A ministry representative, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, indicated that a water-sharing mechanism…