Modern Water Treatment and Flood Protection Technologies: Aktobe City Maslikhat Delegation in the Netherlands

The Hague, March 12, 2025 – A delegation of deputies from the Aktobe City Maslikhat, led by its Chairperson Anar Darzhanova, paid a working visit to the Netherlands from March 10 to 14, 2025. The purpose of the visit was to study and potentially implement advanced practices in water resource management, water treatment technologies, and flood protection.

A key highlight of the trip was the delegation's participation in the international exhibition Aquatech Amsterdam 2025, which focuses on sustainable water management, innovative water treatment technologies, digitalization, water balance monitoring, and water risk management.

The Kazakhstani deputies took part in a roundtable with representatives of Dutch businesses and visited the headquarters of leading engineering companies, educational institutions, and research centers renowned beyond the borders of the Kingdom. Among them was the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, whose experts had previously provided practical assistance to Kazakhstani government bodies and local authorities in response to the devastating floods that affected several regions of Kazakhstan in the spring of last year.

Discussions with the IHE Delft leadership explored opportunities to continue the training of Kazakhstani specialists in the field of water management. Additionally, during meetings at Deltares and the Netherlands Water Management Center, the delegation familiarized themselves with advanced methods of flood forecasting, modeling, and mitigation.

The practical component of the program also included a visit to the innovative Floodproof Holland facility, where modern flood protection technologies were demonstrated, and Witteveen+Bos with its emergency water reservoir. The delegation also visited Royal Haskoning DHV, winner of the Aquatech Amsterdam 2025 Innovation Award, to explore its infrastructure in Utrecht that employs highly efficient wastewater treatment technologies.

The visit, made possible through the support of the Netherlands Water Partnership and the Embassies of both countries, contributed to strengthening cooperation between local representative and executive bodies of Kazakhstan and key public institutions and leading companies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the water sector. The agreements reached on maintaining contacts open up prospects for introducing innovative technologies in Kazakhstan, including automated water treatment systems, advanced filtration technologies, and digital solutions for effective water resource management and adaptation of Dutch experience to the conditions of the Aktobe region.

For reference: Aquatech Amsterdam 2025 is the world's largest international exhibition dedicated to water supply, treatment, and resource management technologies, bringing together 20,000 water professionals from over 140 countries and featuring booths from 800 companies. The event is held biennially in Amsterdam and provides a platform for knowledge exchange, showcasing innovative solutions, and establishing business contacts. It also includes conferences, seminars, and presentations on the latest industry developments and trends, with awards for innovations in the water sector.