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Center for Natural Resources and Sustainability DKU

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  • Hamdard M. H.


  • Hamidov Ahmad

    Current challenges in Central Asian water governance and their implications for research, higher education, and science-policy interaction

    Year: 2025

    Collections: Scientific Publications

    Topics: Water, IWRM

    Authors: Gafurov A., Ziganshina Dinara, Assubayeva A., Nodir Djanibekov, Abdullaev Iskandar, Bobojonov Ihtiyor, Dombrowsky Ines, Hamidov Ahmad, Herrfahrdt-Pähle Elke, Janusz-Pawletta Barbara, Ishangulyyev Rovshen, Kasymov Ulan, Mirkasimov Bakhrom, Petrick Martin, Strobehn Katrin

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

    Source: water-ca.org

    Political tensions over water management in the Central Asia region have intensified since the Soviet era, as ecological issues like the drying Aral Sea and seasonal hydropower disruptions impact downstream countries. The paper discusses the region’s water governance challenges, including climate-induced uncertainties, water resource demands, and the limited capacity of local research institutions. While Central Asia’s governments have initiated reforms, including new infrastructure and agreements, resilience in water management remains underdeveloped. The paper also explores the role of higher education institutions in fostering capacity-building for sustainable governance, emphasizing the need for local expertise and regional collaboration. The proposed establishment of a Central Asian water research platform aims to enhance science-policy integration, promote sustainable water governance, and support informed regional cooperation on transboundary water issues.


    Exploring the interlinkages between water and energy use in the lift irrigated agriculture of Uzbekistan

    Year: 2025

    Collections: Scientific Publications

    Topics: Water, Energy, Agriculture

    Authors: Hamidov Ahmad, Bobocholov Asliddin, Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura

    Countries: Uzbekistan

    Source: water-ca.org

    The water, energy, and food (WEF) nexus is being promoted as a conceptual idea for achieving sustainable development, that describes the interconnections and interdependencies between those three sectors. The main objective of this article is to operationalize the WEF nexus concept in lift-irrigated areas of Uzbekistan through involving local stakeholders, to investigate the WEF nexus within the lift-irrigated agriculture of the Kashkadarya region, an area heavily reliant on the Karshi Canal system. The study is grounded in the urgent need for sustainable development, with a focus on enhancing intersectoral cooperation between water, energy, and food sectors. A case study methodology was employed, incorporating semi-structured interviews with experts, alongside local farmers and scientists. Data were analysed using the qualitative analysis software, Atlas.ti. The results indicate significant challenges to intersectoral cooperation in the WEF nexus, including lack of trust, communication barriers, differing priorities, and insufficient political will. However, the findings also highlight the potential benefits of improved cooperation, such as enhanced resource efficiency, reduced operational costs, and mitigated risks from environmental stressors like drought. The study concludes that, according to stakeholders’ opinions, while the WEF nexus presents critical opportunities for advancing sustainable development in Uzbekistan, substantial barriers must be addressed to realize these benefits. Recommendations include promoting sustainable agriculture to reduce water dependency, improving energy security by diversifying energy sources, and raising awareness of the WEF nexus’s importance. Furthermore, fostering stronger stakeholder cooperation is crucial for achieving Uzbekistan’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.



  • Hannah Schwedhelm

    Water Tales from Turkistan: Challenges and Opportunities for the Badam-Sayram Water System under a Changing Climate

    Year: 2024

    Collections: Scientific Publications

    Topics: Water, Climate

    Authors: Aidar Zhumabaev, Hannah Schwedhelm, Beatrice Marti, Silvan Ragettli, Tobias Siegfried

    Countries: Kazakhstan

    Source: https://water-ca.org

    The Badam River, a tributary to the Arys River located in the Syr Darya basin, is a crucial natural resource for ecological, social, and economic activities in the semi-arid region of southern Kazakhstan. The river basin is heavily influenced by manmade water infrastructure and faces water scarcity, particularly during summer, highlighting the importance of understanding its hydrological processes for effective water resource management. In this study, a semi-distributed conceptual hydrological model of the Badam River was implemented using the RS MINERVE hydrological software to evaluate the impacts of climate change on hydrology and to test the resilience of the water system. Connected HBV models were implemented for each of the hydrological response units that were defined as altitudinal zones. The hydrological model was calibrated using daily time steps between 1979 and 2011, and the resulting flow exceedance curves and hydrographs were used to assess the potential impacts of climate change on the basin, using CMIP6 precipitation and temperature scenarios. Future climate scenarios for the 2054 – 2064 period demonstrate that the peak discharge will be shifted to spring/late spring compared to the current early summer with no significant decrease in average discharge per day of the year. The insights gained from this hydrological-hydraulic model can be used to effectively manage the water system and inform future hydropower design decisions and serve as a blueprint for similar studies in the region and elsewhere.



  • Hans Holzhacker

    Determinants of household energy use in the Fergana Valley

    Year: 2024

    Collections: Scientific Publications

    Topics: Energy

    Authors: Hans Holzhacker, Botagoz Rakisheva

    Countries: Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan

    Source: Central Asian Journal of Sustainability and Climate Research

    In July-August, 2023, CAREC Institute, Public Opinion Research Institute, and Asian Development Bank Institute conducted a sociological survey on household energy use in the Fergana Valley spanning over the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The following article uses the data from that survey for investigating what determines the choice of different energy types for heating. The article concludes that high household expenditures for coal and high awareness of the harm fossil fuels can inflict on the environment and family health are insufficient to trigger a large-scale shift towards cleaner energy. To motivate households for such a shift a substantial increase in fossil fuel prices compared to electricity and other clean energy is required. This might call for a sales tax on coal. However, energy expenditure already accounts for up to one-third of household income. Low- and middle-income households would need to be compensated for increased energy spending to avoid social hardship and a backlash against such a tax.



  • Hejran H.

    Sustainable Irrigation: Karez System in Afghanistan

    Year: 2020

    Collections: Research Paper

    Topics: Water

    Authors: Azami A., Sagin J., Sadat S. H., Hejran H.

    Countries: Afghanistan

    Source: Central Asian Journal of Water Research



  • Herrfahrdt-Pähle Elke

    Current challenges in Central Asian water governance and their implications for research, higher education, and science-policy interaction

    Year: 2025

    Collections: Scientific Publications

    Topics: Water, IWRM

    Authors: Gafurov A., Ziganshina Dinara, Assubayeva A., Nodir Djanibekov, Abdullaev Iskandar, Bobojonov Ihtiyor, Dombrowsky Ines, Hamidov Ahmad, Herrfahrdt-Pähle Elke, Janusz-Pawletta Barbara, Ishangulyyev Rovshen, Kasymov Ulan, Mirkasimov Bakhrom, Petrick Martin, Strobehn Katrin

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

    Source: water-ca.org

    Political tensions over water management in the Central Asia region have intensified since the Soviet era, as ecological issues like the drying Aral Sea and seasonal hydropower disruptions impact downstream countries. The paper discusses the region’s water governance challenges, including climate-induced uncertainties, water resource demands, and the limited capacity of local research institutions. While Central Asia’s governments have initiated reforms, including new infrastructure and agreements, resilience in water management remains underdeveloped. The paper also explores the role of higher education institutions in fostering capacity-building for sustainable governance, emphasizing the need for local expertise and regional collaboration. The proposed establishment of a Central Asian water research platform aims to enhance science-policy integration, promote sustainable water governance, and support informed regional cooperation on transboundary water issues.



  • Hutson N.

    A new strategy for merging the environmental and commerce challenges of the Caspian

    Year: 2023

    Collections: Research Paper

    Topics: Water, Green business

    Authors: Hutson N., Taganova J.

    Countries: Kazakhstan

    Source: Central Asian Journal of Water Research

    Recent geopolitical events have thrust the Caspian region into a time of unparalleled opportunity. Specifically, the Middle Corridor (“MC”) has been presented as a potential savior for trans-Eurasian commerce. At the same time, its success relies on a sea that is in an ecologically precarious state.



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