Lakes are recognized as having a high sensitivity to environmental change and human interventions. This is particularly the case with endorheic lakes due to the fact that their water volume is not controlled by outflow from a river outlet. In Kazakhstan, most lakes are endorheic and they are a valuable source of freshwater for irrigation and daily usage. Nazarbayev University Postdoctoral scholar Marzhan Baigalieva has developed a water balance model for Shortandy Lake. To know more, read the interview of Marzhan Baigalieva for Egemen Kazakhstan.