Zürcher Nachrichten - Hydrosat and Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary Sign Agreement to Advance Satellite-Based Water Intelligence Across Kazakhstan and Central Asia

The agreement was signed as part of the state visit of the Head of State of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Belgium. During the visit, a number of strategic agreements were concluded to advance artificial intelligence, science, digital infrastructure, and space technologies, creating new opportunities for investment, joint research, technology deployment, and international cooperation.

Representing Kazakhstan at the signing ceremonies were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhaslan Madiyev, and Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek. The participation of senior government representatives highlights the strategic importance of space-based technologies and digital innovation in Kazakhstan's long-term development priorities.

The first-of-a-kind collaboration for the region combines Hydrosat's thermal infrared satellite technology and AI-powered water and crop analytics with JSC "NC "KGS" 's national geospatial infrastructure. The agreement signed in Brussels paves the way for sustainable water governance in Kazakhstan and throughout Central Asia.

Kazakhstan is one of the world's leading wheat exporters, with more than 23 million hectares of agricultural land and nearly 2 million hectares of irrigated farmland concentrated in the country's southern regions. Agriculture accounts for more than 60% of national water withdrawals, making efficient water management a strategic priority. Central Asia represents one of the world's most water-stressed agricultural regions, with irrigation supporting millions of hectares of farmland while facing growing pressure from climate change and aging infrastructure.

In response, the government has prioritized modernizing irrigation systems, the adoption of digital agriculture, and improvement of water management to boost productivity, resilience, and long-term sustainability. By combining Hydrosat's thermal infrared and AI-driven analytics with JSC "NC "KGS"'s national space and geospatial capabilities and Copernicus Sentinel data, the program will provide Kazakhstan and its regional partners with standardized, verifiable measurements enabling smarter water allocation, stronger resource governance, and more resilient agricultural systems.

"This agreement marks an important step toward bringing consistent, field-scale water intelligence to one of the world's most strategically important agricultural regions," said Pieter Fossel, CEO of Hydrosat. "By combining our technology with JSC "NC "KGS"'s national space capabilities and geospatial expertise, we are helping Kazakhstan and its regional partners move from estimates to standardized, verifiable measurements - enabling smarter water allocation, stronger resource governance, and more resilient agricultural systems over the long term."

The collaboration is designed for operational deployment at scale, establishing the foundation for national adoption of satellite-derived water intelligence. The program will measure actual evapotranspiration at the field level, assess irrigation-driven water use, estimate soil moisture, detect crop water stress, and evaluate irrigation performance and water productivity.

By replacing fragmented reporting and sparse ground instrumentation with consistent, scalable measurements, the program introduces a standardized, verifiable layer of water intelligence to support long-term governance, investment planning, and climate adaptation initiatives.

The collaboration highlights growing institutional demand for operational satellite-based water intelligence; a market expected to expand rapidly as governments prioritize water security, food production, and national resilience.

"This initiative marks a new frontier in how satellite technology can be applied to one of the most critical resource challenges of our time," said Kaiyrzhan Kozhayev, Chairman of the Board at JSC "NC "KGS".

"By integrating space-based thermal infrared analytics into Kazakhstan's national geospatial infrastructure, we are transforming how water consumption is measured, monitored, and managed - at a scale and precision that was not previously possible. This is what it means to put space technology to work for our country and our region."

For JSC "NC "KGS", the partnership represents a significant step in advancing Kazakhstan's sovereign capability to convert satellite data into operational decision-support tools. Through local validation, integration with Kazakhstan's existing geospatial infrastructure, and close collaboration with national stakeholders, the program will produce practical, decision-ready products derived from high-resolution thermal infrared imagery - enabling public authorities, water managers, and agricultural users to act on precise, timely intelligence rather than estimates.

The program demonstrates how national space capabilities and cutting-edge satellite analytics can converge to deliver operational value at scale. By anchoring the initiative within Kazakhstan's national space framework, JSC "NC "KGS" is establishing a scalable architecture that can support multi-year programs, cross-border data integration, and future expansion across Central Asia.

Through this partnership, JSC "NC "KGS" positions Kazakhstan as a regional leader in the application of satellite-based water intelligence - and creates a replicable model for neighboring Central Asian countries facing shared water stress, climate volatility, and agricultural uncertainty. As demand for measurable, data-driven approaches to water security grows across the region, the initiative establishes Kazakhstan's national space infrastructure as a core enabler of that transition.

About Hydrosat

Hydrosat is a leading thermal intelligence company helping governments and enterprises monitor the physical world through infrared satellite data and analytics. By combining proprietary thermal imagery, AI-driven models, and cloud-based delivery platforms, Hydrosat turns surface temperature into operational intelligence for some of the world's most pressing resources, security, and climate challenges.

Hydrosat's solutions are used to assess water stress, optimize agricultural production, monitor environmental and industrial conditions, and support strategic government applications. The company serves customers across agriculture, water management, environmental monitoring, defense and intelligence, and climate resilience.

To learn more, visit www.hydrosat.com.

About JSC "NC "Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary"

Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary is the national space company of the Republic of Kazakhstan, responsible for the development and operation of key national space infrastructure, including Earth observation capabilities, geospatial data services, and applied space solutions for government and commercial users. KGS supports the use of satellite technologies in areas such as natural resource management, agriculture, environmental monitoring, emergency response, and digital transformation, contributing to Kazakhstan's technological sovereignty and sustainable development.

Hydrosat Press Contact:

Christine Vlachou
Sr. Marketing & Communications Manager
[email protected]

JSC "NC "Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary" Press Contact:

Zhannur Myngyshpanova
Deputy Director of Business Development Department
[email protected]

SOURCE: Hydrosat

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

A.P.Huber--NZN