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Good practice Imported

Kok-Aral Dam — World Bank-Financed Restoration of the Northern Aral Sea (Kazakhstan)

Kazakhstan · Aralsk · See the Kazakhstan profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 14% 60/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Kazakhstan's World Bank-financed Kok-Aral Dam raised the Northern Aral Sea's water volume 42% to ~27 billion m3 by 2025, revived a fishery to 8,000 tonnes/year with 20 fish species reappearing, and a further phase is planned for 2026–2029.

$86 million ($64.5M World Bank-financed)
Dam cost
>12 metres
Water level rise from 2003 low (by 2025)
+42% to ~27 billion m3
Water volume growth (by 2025)
~8,000 tonnes
Annual fish catch recovery
20
Fish species reappeared
Kok-Aral Dam — World Bank-Financed Restoration of the Northern Aral Sea (Kazakhstan)

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Government of Kazakhstan (Kyzylorda Region) / World Bank
Period
2001–2005 (construction); effects monitored to 2025
Keywords
water resources, fisheries, ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation

Context

The Northern (Small) Aral Sea had desiccated after Soviet-era irrigation diversions cut off most Syr Darya river inflow.

Activities

The Kok-Aral Dam, a 13 km dike, was completed in 2005 at a cost of about $86 million ($64.5 million financed by the World Bank), trapping Syr Darya inflow to raise and stabilise the Northern Aral's water level.

Results

By 2025 the dam had raised the Northern Aral's water level more than 12 metres from its 2003 low, with total volume up 42% to approximately 27 billion cubic metres; annual fish catch recovered to roughly 8,000 tonnes with 20 previously vanished fish species reappearing.

Conclusions

Kazakhstan has announced a further phase (2026-2029) to raise the dam further, targeting 34 billion cubic metres; no forest-carbon or fire-resilience metrics apply to this water-body restoration project.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
Government of Kazakhstan (Kyzylorda Region), World Bank (Syr Darya Control and Northern Aral Sea Phase 1 Project)

Conditions for success

  • sustained Syr Darya river inflow management
  • planned follow-on phase to raise capacity further

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

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