Kazakhstan has launched formal international consultations to establish a United Nations-backed International Water Organisation (IWO), a move intended to centralise a global water agenda that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described as “fragmented”.
The proposal, presented during the Regional Ecological Summit (RES-2026) in Astana this week.
Climate diplomacy
The initiative is part of Astana’s “extroverted” diplomatic strategy, which seeks to strengthen its leadership role in Central Asia and present itself as an authoritative actor on climate and environmental diplomacy. This global push is reflected in Nicosia through the recent appointment of Nikolay Zhumakanov as Kazakhstan’s first-ever resident ambassador to Cyprus.
Speaking at a press briefing session with international journalists on 22 April 2026, Yerlik Karazhan, CEO of the Central Asia Climate Foundation, explained that environmental platforms give these broader diplomatic efforts “a bit more colours, its meaning and its importance”.
Kazakhstan’s push for a global authority is rooted in its history of environmental trauma, most notably the Aral Sea disaster. Once the world’s fourth-largest inland sea, the Aral shrank to a tenth of its size following decades of water diversion. President Tokayev described the tragedy as “a stark reminder of the consequences of unsustainable policies”. Dr Karazhan noted during the press briefing that for nations to withstand such climatic pressures, they must unify. “To fight this fight back, to adapt to the climate change or mitigate the reasons, you need to get together, you need to become a tree,” he stated, referring to the collective strength required for regional and global survival.
Addressing the summit’s plenary session, President Tokayev asserted that “the time for indicating successes is over; the time for making solutions has come”. He argued that even if global climate targets are met, Central Asia is likely to experience a 2 to 2.5°C temperature rise. Kazakhstan, which relies on external sources for 70 per cent of its water, views the IWO as a mechanical necessity to ensure that global water management is no longer a “cherry-picking platform”.
The situation in Cyprus
The challenges identified in Astana resonate with the water crisis in Cyprus. While dam reserves on the island reached a low of 14 per cent earlier in the year, recent rainfall in March and early April has significantly improved the outlook, with levels rising to approximately 38 per cent of capacity. Despite this seasonal recovery, the Republic of Cyprus remains focused on long-term resilience to avoid a return to “tragic” scarcity. The government continues to move forward with plans for 12 desalination units by the end of 2026 to reduce its historic reliance on unpredictable precipitation.
Water-scarce countries such as Cyprus, could stand to benefit from the proposed IWO through the institutionalised transfer of advanced water-saving technologies. In February 2026, a Council of Economy and Competitiveness of Cyprus survey identified drought and water shortages as the most serious risk facing the Cypriot economy.
Dr Karazhan said that the solution to such crises is often found in “improving water efficiency,” adding that “technology transfer is a big story which can be helping.” This is particularly relevant for Cyprus, where approximately 40 per cent of water is lost through ageing distribution networks before reaching the tap.
While the Cypriot government has earmarked €140 million for desalinated water in 2026, the technical pivot has faced domestic resistance. In Mazotos, residents have protested the installation of mobile desalination units, citing concerns over environmental transparency and the impact of brine discharge on protected Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. Beyond ecological risks, the community has highlighted the “energy-for-water” trade-off, noting that high electricity demands leave water security vulnerable to rising energy prices.
The success of the Kazakh initiative now depends on securing a broad coalition before the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. As Dr Karazhan stressed, environmental issues “don’t respect political words,” and a scientific, multilateral approach may be the only viable path forward.
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