Altaï

Central Asia is one of the regions most affected by future water shortages. Located in the heart of Eurasia, it closes what is known as the “arc of thirst,” extending from the Maghreb and the Middle East.

Even Kazakhstan, the northernmost of the Central Asian republics, is now facing a complex situation. The arid steppes of this vast country were colonized by the Soviets during the 20th century. Networks of canals were dug to divert waterways for agriculture and mining. When it gained independence in the 1990s, Kazakhstan decided to move its capital to Astana, in the middle of the steppes, multiplying the water needs of this region with its fragile water resources. The population has grown tenfold in a city of futuristic glass towers overlooking the vast desert. In recent years, Astana has experienced shortages, and a new canal is being dug to ensure the megacity’s water supply. It draws from a river as important as it is little known: the Irtysh. This waterway is vital for Kazakhstan’s development. But what is the state of the river, now depleted upstream by China? What about the glacial sources of the Irtysh River, high up in the dizzying Altai Mountains? That’s what we want to find out by climbing to the highest peak, Mount Belukha. Along the way, we’ll meet the inhabitants of a vast country about which little is known…

A resolutely contemporary exploration, at the heart of the new challenges surrounding water.

A film produced by Lucien TV.