Year: 2022
Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article
Topics: Water, Water governance Water diplomacy,
Authors: Juho Haapala, Marko Keskinen
Countries:
Source: Water Alternatives, 15(1), 93-128
This study combines the strengths of historical studies and analytical approaches on transboundary water interactions to establish an historical process perspective on transboundary waters. The study analytically separates transboundary water cooperation, water diplomacy, and their broader political setting, and analyses their interplay over a long period of time. The paper presents a detailed case study on the development and transformation of Finnish-Russian transboundary water interactions over the last 100 years, with an emphasis on Finland and its relationship with the Soviet Union/Russia after World War II.
Year: 2023
Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article
Topics: Water, Water diplomacy
Authors: Juho Haapala, Marko Keskinen, Elina Häkkinen, Bota Sharipova
Countries:
Source: Water Alternatives 16(3): 949-977
This paper examines trust and trust-building activities in literature related to water diplomacy, linking them to conceptualisations of trust in the fields of international relations and natural resource management. The reviewed publications and key informant interviews emphasise the importance of trust in water diplomacy processes. The literature and interviews also allow us to identify ten categories of potential trust-building activities in water diplomacy.
Year: 2021
Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article
Topics: Water, Water diplomacy
Authors: Juho Haapala, Marko Keskinen, Erik Salminen
Countries:
Source: Journal of Hydrology
In this article, we seek to contribute to the practice of water diplomacy by introducing a step-wise Water Diplomacy Paths approach for analysing different water diplomacy contexts and related water diplomacy actions. To facilitate this, we recognise five key aspects for water diplomacy (Political; Preventive; Integrative; Cooperative; Technical) and propose a general definition for water diplomacy. We also discuss the possible distinctions between the related concepts of water diplomacy and transboundary water cooperation. The use of the Water Diplomacy Paths approach is demonstrated with brief case studies focusing on Central Asia, the Mekong Region, and the Finnish-Russian water cooperation. The work builds on an extensive literature review and comparative analysis of water diplomacy approaches as well as on a series of workshops and interviews among selected water diplomacy actors, including career diplomats.
Year: 2021
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Water, IWRM
Authors: Tulemisova G., Amangosova A., Abdinov R., Kabdrakhimov G., Dzhanzakova B.
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
Year: 2017
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Climate, Sustainable Development, Green business
Authors: Kabilov Firdavs
Countries: Tajikistan
Year: 2017
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Water, Climate
Authors: Kalashnikova O. Ju., Abdibachaev U. A., Moldobekov B. D.
Countries: Kyrgyzstan
Year: 2020
Collections: Research Paper
Topics: IWRM
Authors: Гафуров А. А., Kalashnikova O. Ju., Niyazov J.B.
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
Year: 2023
Collections: Research Paper
Topics: Water
Authors: Makhmudova L., Mussina A., Ospanova M., Zharylkassyn A., Kanatuly A.
Countries: Kazakhstan
Source: Central Asian Journal of Water Research
The research aimed to assess the impact of human economic activities on the Yesil River Basin based on the observational data contained in Kazhydromet’s (Republic State Enterprise, RSE) hydrometeorological periodicals of 1933-2019. The additional analysis of numerous sources – statistics digests, online data of the Bureau of National Statistics under the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK), monographs and scientific papers also allowed to reliably evaluate the overall water consumption in the country.
Year: 2023
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Water
Authors: Karatayev M.
Countries: Kazakhstan
Source: Central Asian Journal of Sustainability and Climate Research
In transitional countries with arid climates, water stress is rising as the demand for water rises with population, economic growth, and intensive development of agriculture and energy and change in climate environment. In this regard, transitional nations plan in national programmes and policies alternative energy sources, sustainable food development, and circular water resource usage. However, these nations frequently approach current water, energy, and food planning without taking interactions of these resources and their impact on each other into account. This paper intends to demonstrate the significance of the water, energy, and food nexus approach for Central Asian countries in transition.
Year: 2022
Collections: Policy Briefs
Topics: Agriculture, Sustainable Development
Authors: Guggenberger Georg, Shibistova Olga, Liebelt Peter, Muminjanov Hafiz, Kassam Amir, Friedrich Theodor
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan
Source:
Soil degradation is widespread and cross-border in Central Asia with multiple symptoms. This impairs the provision of ecosystem services, including food production, climate change mitigation, biodiversity, and human health. The soil health concept links soil management to broader sustainable development goals. Soil knowledge and its application has to be invigorated, for instance by establishing a Central Asian Soil Competence Network.
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.
Year: 2022
Collections: Research Paper
Topics: Water, Sustainable Development, NEXUS, Water governance, Transboundary Water Resources
Authors: Ahmad Hamidov, Katrin Daedlow, Heidi Webber, Hussam Hussein, Ilhom Abdurahmanov, Aleksandr Dolidudko, Ali Yawar Seerat, Umida Solieva, Tesfaye Woldeyohanes, Katharina Helming
Countries:
Source: Ecology and Society
This article focuses on the operationalization of the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) Nexus concept as a framework for promoting sustainable development in Central Asia. The researchers examine the application of the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) protocol as a tool for interdisciplinary analysis of five different environmental systems across the region. The findings demonstrate that a systems-based approach helps experts identify critical trade-offs between water resource management, energy production, and soil conservation. The authors emphasize that the SIA framework is effective in addressing interdisciplinary complexity; however, it requires further development in areas related to ethics and stakeholder engagement. Overall, the study highlights that regional cooperation and the integration of scientific approaches are essential for mitigating the impacts of environmental degradation, including challenges such as the desiccation of the Aral Sea. The article therefore provides a methodological foundation for translating theoretical nexus concepts into practical strategies for natural resource management and sustainable development.
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