Abstract
The article analyzes the record of catastrophic floods for the Yesil river basin in the XIX, XX andXXI centuries. Information and data about floods are taken from hydrometeorological periodic publications,archival data, electronic resources, scientific articles and other sources. The study of hydrologicalaspects is of strategical relevance to ensure the sustainable development of river catchmentsof Kazakhstan. The studied Yesil River Basin is one of the most important regions of the country, witha need for comprehensive hydrological research as the capital city of Astana is rapidly developing.Analysis of existing materials allowed us to identify the flooded areas, the dates of flood occurrence,their causes and an assessment of flood damage. Following earlier research, the causes of floodingwere classified into 7 main groups that are typical for flood conditions in the basin. As a result, themain factors that led to flooding were the contributions from melting snow and precipitation. Climatechange and human activities were also noted to have an impact to flooding. The scale and amount offlood damage was assessed.