Zoning of the Territory of Southern Kazakhstan Based on the Conditions of Groundwater Availability for Watering Pasture Lands
Smolyar V. Adenova D. Rakhimov T. Ayazbayev R. Nyssanbayeva G. Kerimkulova A.
September 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Hydrology
2025#12Issue 9
In the arid and semi-arid climate of Southern Kazakhstan, groundwater is the primary and most resilient source of water for pasture irrigation. This study provides an integrated assessment of the predicted, natural, and operational groundwater resources across five administrative regions—Almaty, Zhetysu, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, and Turkestan—considering water quality (total dissolved solids, TDS), potential well yield, and aquifer depth. Hydrogeological maps at 1:200,000 and 1:1,000,000 scales, a regional well inventory, and GIS-based spatial analysis were combined to classify resource availability and identify surplus and deficit zones. Results show that 92.5% of predicted exploitable resources (totaling 1155.2 m3/s) have TDS ≤ 3 g/L, making them suitable for domestic and livestock use. Regional disparities are pronounced: Zhetysu, Almaty, and Zhambyl exhibit resource surpluses, Kyzylorda approaches balance, while Turkestan faces a marked deficit. The developed groundwater availability map integrates mineralization, well productivity, and recommended drilling depth, enabling the design of water intake systems without costly field exploration. This decision-support tool has practical value for optimizing water allocation, reducing operational costs, and improving the sustainability of pasture management under the constraints of limited surface water resources.
geographic information systems (GIS) , groundwater mineralization , hydrogeological mapping , spatial modeling of water resources , sustainable pasture water use
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Institute of Hydrogeology and Geoecology Named After U.M. Akhmedsafin LLP, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Limited Liability Partnership “AlmatyHydroGeology”, Almaty, 050061, Kazakhstan
Department of General Education Disciplines, Civil Aviation Academy, Almaty, 050039, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemical Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Institute of Hydrogeology and Geoecology Named After U.M. Akhmedsafin LLP
Limited Liability Partnership “AlmatyHydroGeology”
Department of General Education Disciplines
Department of Chemical Physics and Materials Science
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