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Sustainable Transboundary Water Governance in Central Asia: Challenges, Conflicts, and Regional Cooperation

Year: 2025

Collections: Research Paper

Topics: Climate, Water governance, Transboundary Water Resources, Transboundary cooperation, Hydropolitics

Authors: Albina Prniyazova, Suriya Turaeva, Daniyar Turgunov, Ben Jarihani

Countries:

Source: Sustainability

Sustainable transboundary water governance in Central Asia faces significant challenges, including political tensions, ecological issues, such as the drying Aral Sea, and seasonal hydropower disruptions impacting downstream countries. This study aims to address these problems by examining the complexities of water resource governance in the region, emphasizing the interplay between national interests and regional cooperation.


Изменения повторяемости атмосферных блокингов над регионами Казахстана в зимние месяцы 1960–2020 гг. и их влияние на температурные режимы

Year: 2025

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Climate

Authors: Наурозбаева Ж. К., Холопцев А.В.

Countries: Kazakhstan

Source: water-ca.org

Изучены особенности пространственной и временной изменчивости повторяемости атмосферных блокингов над территорией Казахстана в зимние месяцы, а также вариаций ее температурного режима для зимних месяцев. При обнаружении атмосферных блокингов в качестве фактического материала использована информация об изменениях над территорией Казахстана среднечасовых значений атмосферного давления, которые приведены к уровню моря, а также аналогичных значений геопотенциала, соответствующих изобарическим поверхностям 850, 500 и 300 гПа. При оценке влияния атмосферных блокингов на термический режим регионов Казахстана как фактический материал использованы результаты его мониторинга, проводившегося на расположенных в них метеостанциях Казгидромета, а также информация из архивов и электронных ресурсов. Предложена методика обнаружения атмосферных блокингов, обобщающая процедуры, которые традиционно используются для решения рассматриваемой задачи, что позволило снизить вероятности возникающих при этом ошибок. Для различных секторов территории Казахстана для всех зимних месяцев оценены средние значения повторяемости атмосферных блокингов за 1960–2020 гг., продолжительность которых не менее 5–10 суток, тенденции ее межгодовых изменений на отрезках времени, соответствующих различным частям современного климатического периода. Определены климатические нормы повторяемости таких блокингов для современного климатического периода и их изменения по отношению к базовому климатическому периоду (1961–1990 гг.). Также изучено влияние рассматриваемых атмосферных блокингов на термический режим различных регионов Казахстана, который характерен для зимних месяцев. Выявлены регионы Казахстана, где в периоды рассматриваемых атмосферных блокингов возникали наибольшие изменения их термического режима.


Pathways to water conflict transformation: Comparing North Crimea Canal and Kabul River Basin

Year: 2025

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water

Authors:

Countries: Afghanistan

Source: https://water-ca.org

This study explores pathways to transformation through a focus on water relations among states, examining the intersection of water resources management, political conflicts, and historical grievances: (1) Ukraine and Russia regarding North Crimea Canal; and (2) Afghanistan and Pakistan in Kabul River Basin. Using these cases to support water conflict prevention, this study explores water interactions (disputes, arrangements, and agreements) from the time of respective sovereign statehoods: Afghanistan (1919), Pakistan (1947), and Ukraine and Russia (1991) through to 2022. The design of this study incorporates the Transboundary Waters Interaction Nexus (TWINs) framework to assess past water interactions; with the Four Stages of Water Conflict Transformation framework, used to assess 2022 state-level relations to determine collaborative skills to cultivate water transformation. Findings indicate that while Ukraine- Russia water relations are adversarial, and Afghanistan-Pakistan are in the reflective negotiation stage—territorial disputes and political economic dynamics hamper cooperation, though points of leverage (such as neutral third-party mediation, shared environmental and economic interests, and water diplomacy and legal frameworks) exist. This research provides value through broadening preventative and transformative strategies in politically sensitive and geopolitically unstable regions—showing that water can be a catalyst for equity and regional securitization.


Water consumption of a Paulownia plantation in an arid climate in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

Year: 2025

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water, Climate

Authors: Thevs Niels, Aliev Kumar, Baier Clara

Countries: Kyrgyzstan

Source: water-ca.org

Recently, Paulownia spec. has been introduced to Central Asia in a number of small plantations. Paulownia yields timber of high quality for applications such as furniture, house construction, boat construction, and surf boards, or skis. Thus, Paulownia might offer a much-needed raw material for this region and beyond. However, Central Asia is largely occupied by drylands so that Paulownia needs irrigation. Against the background of frequent water stress across the region, this study aimed at assessing the water consumption and water productivity of that tree, using a 6-year-old plantation as study site. Trees were planted in May 2017 and cut back to their stumps in 2018. Daily crop evapotranspiration was calculated after the Penman-Monteith approach, whereby the crop coefficients were inherited from actual evapotranspiration values which stemmed from the remote sensing approach S-SEBI. Water consumption per tree was 1741 l, 4461 l, 4500 l, and 4407 l over the growing seasons 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. The water productivity for the stem wood over the whole time-span from planting in 2017 until 2023 was 1.59 g l-1 and 5.65 ml l-1. Given the high quality of its timber and its range of high-value applications, it can be concluded that the water consumed by Paulownia enables higher value timber and timber products than other trees that grow in comparable areas of Central Asia.


The role of land restoration for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation in Kazakhstan

Year: 2025

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Climate, Agriculture

Authors: Alisher Mirzabaev, Yessengali Oskenbayev, Alisher Sansyzbayev

Countries: Kazakhstan

Source: https://cajscr.com

Land restoration in Kazakhstan plays a pivotal role in addressing both climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. The country faces significant challenges related to land degradation, including driven by deforestation and shrubland loss, which has substantial economic and environmental impacts. By restoring forests, Kazakhstan can enhance carbon sequestration, particularly in regions such as Eastern Kazakhstan, which has shown notable gains in carbon sinks from land use and land cover changes. Restoration initiatives also align with Kazakhstan’s commitments under the Bonn Challenge, aiming to restore millions of hectares of degraded land by 2030. By analyzing land cover changes from 2001 to 2020, we identified key degradation hotspots and quantified economic losses of approximately 5.6 billion USD, primarily in grasslands and forests. Evaluating three socioeconomic and climatic scenarios—Optimistic, Base, and Pessimistic—revealed that restoration investments ranging from 6.7 to 11.6 billion USD could yield benefit-cost ratios between 1.4 and 4.3, with wetlands and forests restoration emerging as priority areas. These findings highlight the need for an integrated, data-driven approach to align economic viability with environmental sustainability, thereby promoting green growth and enhancing long-term resilience. Land restoration can serve as a cornerstone for achieving Kazakhstan’s environmental goals, fostering synergies between climate mitigation, biodiversity protection, and sustainable development.


PV-RO drinking water filtration system: case of Qala-e-Gulbaz Village, Kabul Province

Year: 2025

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water, Climate

Authors: Maiwand Omary

Countries: Afghanistan

Source: https://water-ca.org

Pollution and over-exploitation of groundwater aquifers in Kabul Province have led to deteriorated water quality and decreased quantity. In its turn, these have caused elevation of physical, chemical, and biological contaminant concentrations in the province’s groundwater beyond national and international drinking water quality standards. The article describes the outcomes of a pilot photovoltaic reverse osmosis (PV-RO) system for drinking water treatment in Qala-e-Gulbaz Village, Kabul Province, Afghanistan. The main system’s components include PV solar panels, three dosing pumps, two alternative current pumps, two alternative-to-direct-current inverters, sand and carbon filters, two sediment filters, one ultra-violet filter, two water flow meters, and a complete water supply distribution system. The study was assisted by the Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR) ground monitoring well (GMW) system; quality analysis of different physical, chemical, and biological parameters of raw and filtered water samples; measuring filtered water and wastewater flow rates; determining associated limitations and pressures; as well as valuating different related expenses during cost per capita calculations. Water quality testing has shown the system’s removal efficiency of 97% for salinity, 97% for total dissolved solids, above 90% for other chemicals (anions & cations), 65.52% for turbidity, and 100% for bacteria. The plant’s mean quantity efficiency has amounted to 50%. The study highlights certain key challenges including high initial cost, significant wastewater volume, and need for professional operators leading to high operational and maintenance expenditures, with the initial system’s cost per capita of USD79.54. Therefore, under the condition of optimizing efficiency, improving wastewater management, reducing original costs, implementing training programs, and developing the necessary policy framework PV-RO water treatment systems represent a viable alternative.


Законодательное регулирование водопользования горнодобывающей промышленности Казахстана и его соответствие ЦУР: аналитический обзор

Year: 2025

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water, Sustainable Development

Authors: Пономарева Т.С., Жирков В.В., Южаков И.Ю.

Countries: Kazakhstan

Source: https://water-ca.org

Возрастающая нагрузка на водные ресурсы, а также международные обязательства Казахстана по Повестке дня на период до 2030 г. определили необходимость скорейшей модернизации водохозяйственной инфраструктуры промыш-ленных предприятий. Между тем (в условиях отсутствия объективных гидроэкологических данных и нормативной неопределенности) принятие технологических решений по очистке и использованию шахтных и карьерных вод сопряжено водными рисками для горнодобывающей отрасли производства. Данные факторы послужили поводом для подготовки аналитического обзора с целью более широкого информирования заинтересованных сторон о существующей проблеме. Фундаментальный контекст статьи определяется научно-теоретическим сопоставлением существующей законо-дательной структуры регулирования водопользования с институциональной политикой Целей устойчивого развития № 6 (ЦУР 6) «чистая вода и санитария». В качестве ключевого аспекта исследований выступает «комплексный» индикатор 6.4.2. ЦУР «уровень водного стресса», сквозная взаимосвязь которого с другими индикаторами ЦУР 6 позволяет представить всесторонний анализ в вопросе надлежащего исполнения национальных стратегий РК по устойчивому управлению водными ресурсами. Результаты исследований показали, что несмотря на довольно полную законодательную интеграцию ЦУР в нормативно правовые акты (НПА) Казахстана, их реализация в виде экологических нормативов требуют критической переоценки для возможности практического применения при идентификации горнодобывающими предприятиями наилучших доступных техник (НДТ). Несостоятельность экологических нормативов обусловлена слабым межведомственным взаимодействием, размытом понимании ответственности, формальным характером участия промышленного и научного сообщества в разработке, экспертной оценке и научном сопровождении проектов НПА.


Evaluating the impacts of climate change projections on streamflow in the Panjshir watershed

Year: 2025

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water, Climate

Authors: Rohullah Mayar, Mohammad Assem Mayar, Mohammad Hamid Omar

Countries: Afghanistan

Source: https://water-ca.org


Hydrogen production in Kazakhstan and Trans-Caspian Hydrogen Transportation

Year: 2024

Collections: Policy Briefs

Topics: Energy

Authors: Kobzev A., Manuel Andresh, Abylaikhan Soltanayev, Nurbek Yessetov

Countries: Kazakhstan

Source:


Sustainable Land Management in Central Asia and Carbon Benefits

Year: 2024

Collections: Policy Briefs

Topics: Climate, Agriculture

Authors: Rieks Bosch

Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

Source:

The fertility of soil is depending on the minerals

available, the structure of soil, organic matter

in soil, water availability and micro organisms

living in the soil. Together they determine most of the productivity of land.


Impact of climate change on migration trends in rural Central Asia

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Climate

Authors: Nina Miholjcic-Ivkovic

Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

Source: Central Asian Journal of Sustainability and Climate Research

Central Asia is considered a region highly vulnerable to climate change impact and susceptible to climate-induced migration. Rural populations throughout the region are particularly at risk of experiencing adverse effects of climate variability and (im)mobility due to increased exposure to environmental hazards and distress that can severely affect agricultural productivity. This paper explores how climate change impacts migration trends in rural areas of Central Asia with an aim to contribute to the research on climate mobility in the region focusing on most vulnerable inhabitants. By examining the ongoing region's environmental degradation with increased aridity and retreating glaciers that affect local agriculture, water and food security, this paper suggests possible outcomes of such effects on rural mobility trends across five Central Asian countries.


Assessing water quality in a distribution network based on hydraulic conditions

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water

Authors: Tomperi J.

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

Source: https://water-ca.org/

Abnormalities in hydraulic conditions inside a water distribution network are strongly related to the deterioration of drinking water quality.


Assessing the Efficiency and Role of Duckweed (Lemna Minor) in the Removal of Pollutants from Wastewater Treatment Plant Secondary Clarifier Tanks: A Comprehensive Review

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water

Authors: Abdul Wahed Ahmadi, Sükrü Dursun

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

Source: https://water-ca.org/

Aquatic plants, including duckweed (Lemna minor), are increasingly utilized in sewage and wastewater treat-ment to improve pollution parameters and organic matter removal.


Groundwater quality assessment using water quality index and geospatial tools: Kabul Province case study

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water

Authors: Maiwand Omary, Mohammad Najim Nasimi, Mohammad Nasim Nasimi

Countries: Afghanistan

Source: https://water-ca.org

This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of Kabul Province’s groundwater for drinking by way of analyzing the data collected from 34 ground monitoring wells. The purpose was helped through the assessment of a set of groundwater physico-chemical parameters (pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS); sulfate, fluoride, nitrate, and boron content; total hardness (TH) as calcium carbonate, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and total iron), as well as the determination of the Water Quality Index (WQI) developed based on sampling the water points located in the districts of Kabul Province and Kabul City in the course of 3 years (2018 to 2020) to provide a clear and concise representation of water quality status, and cat-egorize groundwater into different quality classes ranging from “excellent” to “unsuitable for drinking”. Moreover, the spatial distribution of WQI and 12 physico-chemical parameter values was mapped using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) Interpolation in Arcmap 10.7 environment, revealing distinct water quality patterns across the study area. The water qual-ity testing outcomes under this investigation show compliance of multiple water contaminant concentrations with the World Health Organization (WHO) Water Quality Guidelines and Afghanistan National Drinking Water Quality Standards (ANDWQS). The WQI values range between 27.5 and 112 (as per ANDWQS) and between 33 and 127.5 (as per WHO Guide-lines); the WQI (WHO) display 9% and WQI (ANDWQS) display 3% of groundwater unsuit-able for drinking. Spatial variation maps (IDW Interpolation) demonstate that turbidity, TDS, TH, and magnesium concentration values for the provinces’s central and eastern sec-tions exceed the permissible thresholds. The study’s findings underscore the need for target-ed groundwater management strategies, including pollution control and regular monitoring, to safeguard water quality and public health in Kabul Province.


Производство водорода в Казахстане и Транскаспийская транспортировка водорода.

Year: 2024

Collections: Policy Briefs

Topics: Energy

Authors: Кобзев Алексей, Мануэль Андреш, Абылайхан Солтанаев, Нурбек Есетов

Countries: Kazakhstan

Source:

Энергетический переход продолжается с беспрецедентной скоростью и масштабом, требуя новых технологий с низким уровнем выбросов углерода. Зеленый водород рассматривается как часть решения для достижения декарбонизации промышленности, что потребует согласованных действий со стороны промышленности и правительства для того, чтобы Казахстан смог получить выгоды.


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