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  • Tuula Honkonen

    Finland’s cooperation in managing transboundary waters and the UNECE Principles for Effective Joint Bodies: Value for water diplomacy?

    Year: 2018

    Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article

    Topics: Water, Water diplomacy

    Authors: Tuula Honkonen, Annukka Lipponen

    Countries:

    Source: Journal of Hydrology

    This paper analyses Finland’s cooperation arrangements in the light of the Principles and assesses the extent to which Finland’s transboundary water commissions reflect the good practices specified in the Principles. Taking a wider perspective, the paper also examines the elements of the principles and their practical realisation with a view to understanding better their promotion of water diplomacy. Relevant features include, inter alia, the competency and representation of the joint institution, its accountability and the extent to which public participation is permitted, and the cooperative mechanisms in place.



  • Umida Solieva

    Operationalizing water-energy-food nexus research for sustainable development in social-ecological systems: an interdisciplinary learning case in Central Asia

    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.



  • Unger-Shayesteh Katy

    Technical Note: Why Methods Matter. A Guidance for Data-based Climate and Hydrological Change Assessments

    Year: 2016

    Collections: Short Communications

    Topics: Water, Climate, Agriculture, Sustainable Development, IWRM

    Authors: Unger-Shayesteh Katy, Gerlitz Lars, Vorogushyn Sergiy

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

    Source: Central Asian Journal of Water Research

    An important topic of the journal “Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia” will be the assessment of past and future changes in climate and water resources in Central Asia. This technical note aims at providing guidance for sound data-based assessment of changes to be published in this journal. The main requirements for achieving credible results are (1) the use of consistent data series, (2) the selection of appropriate change detection methods, and (3) the discussion of the results, their uncertainties and limitations. Using an example of trend analysis, it is exemplarily shown how inhomogeneities in a data series, the selection of start and end points, the applied methods, and temporal aggregation may affect the results of change studies.



  • Usman Muhammad

    The scientific online tool “Water Use Efficiency Monitor for Central Asia - WUEMoCA” for monitoring and optimizing national water use efficiency measures

    Year: 2022

    Collections: Scientific Publications

    Topics: Water, Irrigation, IWRM

    Authors: Conrad Christopher, Usman Muhammad, Kenjabaev Shavkat, Ziganshina Dinara, Kussainova Maira, Nikolayenko Alexandr

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan

    Source:

    Management interventions to increase water use efficiency in the irrigation sector of Central Asia were introduced but a scientific control instrument is still missing - The online tool WUEMoCA provides relevant irrigation performance indicators in the Aral Sea Basin from satellite data in combination with additional sources - WUEMoCA-based analysis of water security and water use efficiency showed: o 11 out of 33 provinces in the Aral Sea Basin were below the critical level to supply crop water demands for more than 5 years in 2000-2018. o Irrigation water use efficiency is very low in general (55%-60%) and scientific data hints at missing or failing water management interventions in the Amu Darya and Zarafshan basins. - WUEMoCA can strategically supplement the ongoing digitization efforts of the countries in the water sector. - By utilizing WUEMoCA-like tools, Central Asian governments and water management bodies will have new platforms for steering and assessing current and future strategic interventions in regional water management.


    GIS technologies and modelling approaches for more sustainable management of natural resources

    Year: 2024

    Collections: Policy Briefs

    Topics: Sustainable Development, Management

    Authors: Usman Muhammad, Liebelt Peter, Catalin Stefan, Klara Dzhakypbekova

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

    Source:

    The question of suitable approaches and technologies for more effective and environmentally friendly management of natural resources has great relevance for the countries of Central Asia in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the wide range of natural resources, Central Asia is still facing increasing land degradation and water scarcity. These problems are being accelerated by land-use pressure and climate change, which is particularly severe in Central Asia. The following recommendations are developed together with scientists from international projects on the use of GIS technologies and modelling approaches for more sustainable resource management.



  • Utkir Adkhamov


  • Viktoria Krylova

    Adapting Agricultural Water Use to Climate Change in a Post-Soviet Context: Challenges and Opportunities in Southeast Kazakhstan

    Year: 2017

    Collections:

    Topics: Climate, Irrigation, IWRM, Water governance

    Authors: Tristam Barrett, Giuseppe Feola, Marina Khusnitdinova, Viktoria Krylova

    Countries: Kazakhstan

    Source: Human Ecology

    The convergence of climate change and post-Soviet socio-economic and institutional transformations has been underexplored so far, as have the consequences of such convergence on crop agriculture in Central Asia. This paper provides a place-based analysis of constraints and opportunities for adaptation to climate change, with a specific focus on water use, in two districts in southeast Kazakhstan.



  • Viktoriya Krylova

    Climate Vulnerabilities in Central Asia: Universities and Policy Mainstreaming

    Year: 2024

    Collections: Policy Briefs

    Topics: Climate

    Authors: Zhakenova Saltanat, Arsen Tleppayev, Nodir Djanibekov, Viktoriya Krylova

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

    Source:

    Universities and academia in Central Asia play a crucial role in addressing climate change impacts, including rising temperatures, diminishing water resources, and increased frequency of extreme weather events threatening agriculture and livelihoods. Academic efforts must prioritize research on tailored adaptation strategies to foster resilience and sustainability. However, there's an underrepresentation of climate change research from Central Asia, emphasizing the urgent need for expanded research efforts.



  • Vladislav Valentinov

    Water Governance in Central Asia: A Luhmannian Perspective

    Year: 2015

    Collections: Research Paper

    Topics: Water governance, Transboundary Water Resources, Hydropolitics

    Authors: Nodir Djanibekov, Kristof Van Assche, Vladislav Valentinov

    Countries:

    Source: Society & Natural Resources

    The article focuses on the problems of transboundary water governance in Central Asia from the perspective of Niklas Luhmann’s social systems theory. The authors examine why, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became difficult to coordinate the use of the water-energy infrastructure of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. During the Soviet period, water, energy, and agriculture were managed through a centralized system. However, after 1991, each country began to develop its own national policy. This strengthened contradictions between upstream countries, which need water for hydropower production, and downstream countries, which need water for irrigation.



  • Vorogushyn Sergiy

    Technical Note: Why Methods Matter. A Guidance for Data-based Climate and Hydrological Change Assessments

    Year: 2016

    Collections: Short Communications

    Topics: Water, Climate, Agriculture, Sustainable Development, IWRM

    Authors: Unger-Shayesteh Katy, Gerlitz Lars, Vorogushyn Sergiy

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

    Source: Central Asian Journal of Water Research

    An important topic of the journal “Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia” will be the assessment of past and future changes in climate and water resources in Central Asia. This technical note aims at providing guidance for sound data-based assessment of changes to be published in this journal. The main requirements for achieving credible results are (1) the use of consistent data series, (2) the selection of appropriate change detection methods, and (3) the discussion of the results, their uncertainties and limitations. Using an example of trend analysis, it is exemplarily shown how inhomogeneities in a data series, the selection of start and end points, the applied methods, and temporal aggregation may affect the results of change studies.



  • Wegerich Kai


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