Year: 2025
Collections: Books
Topics: Water, IWRM, Water governance, Water diplomacy, Transboundary Water Resources, Transboundary cooperation
Authors: Shafiqul Islam, Kevin Smith, Martina Klimes, Aaron Salzberg
Countries:
Source: Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy
Full book available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V8lHqDiaqrMtHnU6JP9p9SBC2rsXY8gX/view?usp=sharing
The Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy is a comprehensive guide to understanding and practicing water diplomacy – a framework for building relationships, negotiating shared interests, and managing complex water challenges across physical, political, and societal boundaries.
In an era marked by rising scarcity, deepening uncertainty, and growing geopolitical tension, this timely volume offers actionable insights for negotiated problem-solving grounded in both scientific understanding and diplomatic skill. Moving beyond abstract theory and technical fixes, the Handbook introduces a dual-pathway structure designed to meet the diverse needs of its users. The “Working Together” pathway invites readers to engage with water diplomacy through the lens of their roles, whether as professionals, decision-makers, funders, researchers, or affected communities. The “What Matters and Why” pathway highlights key thematic dimensions, including process design, adaptive learning, trust-building, divergent worldviews, and the management of uncertainty.
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.
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.
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.
Year: 2024
Collections: Research Paper
Topics: IWRM, Water law, Water diplomacy, Transboundary Water Resources, Transboundary cooperation
Authors: Ayşegül Kibaroğlu
Countries:
Source: Theorizing Transboundary Waters in International Relations
Water diplomacy encompasses the processes and institutions through which the national interests and identities of sovereign states are represented to one another. It is enshrined in international law, which states use to explain and justify their policies to concerned actors in the international system. States mostly prefer traditional tools of water diplomacy such as negotiation and mediation to resolve disputes in transboundary river basins.
Year: 2024
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Water
Authors: Шарахметов С., Бараков Р.Т., Исбеков К.Б., Нуртазин С.Т.
Countries: Kazakhstan
Source: https://water-ca.org
В статье приведены результаты изучения морфологической изменчивости сазана (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) в пределах трех крупных водоемов Балкаш-Алакольского бассейна – оз. Балкаш, оз. Алаколь и Капшагайского водохранилища. По трем выборкам сазана обнаружены морфологические различия по ряду признаков (счетные и пластические). При анализе внешних признаков были изучены 24 пластических и 14 счетных признаков. С применением метода обработки цифровых изображений (MorphoJ) проанализированы различия сазана по форме тела. Применение метода главных компонент (PCA) позволило определить основные нагрузки на изученные морфологические признаки сазана. Выявленные статистически достоверные различия позволяют говорить о том, что формирование морфологических изменений сазана было вызвано длительностью адаптивной радиации, средовыми факторами водоемов и ежегодным искусственным зарыблением молодью.
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.
Year: 2024
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Water
Authors: Esther Mbuci Kinyua, George William Atwoki Nyakairu, Emmanuel Tebandeke, Oghenekaro Nelson Odume
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan
Source: https://water-ca.org/
Efficient strategies are necessary to effectively remove microplastics (MPs), which are widely present in the environment. Among various techniques, photocatalysis using visible light has emerged as a promising ap-proach to tackle the growing concerns surrounding microplastic waste.
Year: 2024
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Climate, Energy
Authors: Sergey Vassilyev, Galym Iskakov
Countries: Kazakhstan
Source: Central Asian Journal of Sustainability and Climate Research
The study aimed to evaluate the economic and financial viability of a coal mine methane (CMM) utilization project in Central Kazakhstan, demonstrating a methodology for similar initiatives. The analysis was based on the 2013 project proposed by the US Environmen-tal Protection Agency (EPA) that intended to capture methane emissions from six coal mines for electricity generation, yet was never implemented. The study’s relevance stems from Kazakhstan's 2030 methane pledge, recent progress in the country's climate change-related policy, mineworker mortality in 2023, and the shift of mines ownership. Building upon the technical specifications of the 2013 US EPA project, this research em-ployed standard financial and economic cost-benefit analysis (CBA). The financial model utilized a traditional discounted free cash flow approach, while the economic model in-corporated additional factors like the value of statistical life (VSL), shadow pricing, as well as benefits associated with mitigating ozone health impacts, crop damage, mine ex-plosion risks, and CO2 emissions. The economic model has indicated a positive net pre-sent value of $243 mln and 42% internal rate of return. The financial analysis also sug-gests potential profitability under fair electricity and carbon pricing market conditions. To assess project robustness under varying economic and financial assumptions, the study included a sensitivity analysis. The research has likewise leveraged prior CMM-related studies in Kazakhstan and provides valuable guidance for analyzing similar projects. In addition, it also highlights the need for certain adjustments in the current legislation to incentivize such projects, as well as to promote environmental sustainability and social development by mitigating methane emissions, which aligns with Kazakhstan's climate goals.
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.
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.
Year: 2024
Collections: Scientific Publications
Topics: Water
Authors: Nematullah Fetrat, Ahmad Reza Rostayee, Sai Kala
Countries: Afghanistan
Source: https://water-ca.org
The article investigates certain low-cost filtering materials and their filtration efficiency for open well sources in terms of economic access to clean water in Anakapalle, a suburb of Visa-khapatnam, India, during the pre-monsoon period of 2022. The corresponding research aimed to study a selection of filter materials including coconut shell activated carbon, rice husk ash, manganese modified sand, and graphene oxide, as well as assess their performance against selected physico-chemical parameters of water. Considering the basic idea of slow sand and gravity-based filtration, a setup was arranged with a cartridge filled with layers of filtering materials and a ceramic candle filter. Adsorption turned out the most pronounced removal mechanism that took place when utilizing the aforementioned filter materials. The main focus of the study was to reduce pH, TDS, hardness, alkalinity, chlorides and iron content by applying dif-ferent filtration removal mechanisms. The study results show a significant drop in turbidity, pH, TDS and chlorides, and small reduction in hardness when coconut shell activated carbon and rice husk ash were used as filtration media. Whereas the chemically coated medium – manga-nese modified sand – demonstrated a considerable fall in iron concentrations, graphene oxide sand was observed to reduce alkalinity for any sample source.
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.
Year: 2024
Collections: Policy Briefs
Topics: Energy
Authors: Kobzev A., Manuel Andresh, Abylaikhan Soltanayev, Nurbek Yessetov
Countries: Kazakhstan
Source:
Year: 2024
Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article
Topics: Water, Climate, Water governance
Authors: Susanne Schmeier, Alexandra Turgul, Melissa McCracken, Zoe H. Rosenblum, Lynette de Silva, Aaron T. Wolf
Countries:
Source: Water International, 49(3-4), 274-288
This article explores major findings and evolutions in understandings of transboundary water conflict and cooperation over the last three decades, focusing on the trends emerging from the Transboundary Freshwater Diplomacy Database. It is found that since the 1940s, countries tend to cooperate over shared water resources, in contrast to media portrayals of 'water wars'. Water conflicts, which have increased slightly since 2000, are mostly fuelled by water quantity disputes or unilateral infrastructure developments. Institutions play a role in facilitating cooperation and reducing conflict over shared waters, but their growth and adoption have slowed over the last few decades.
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