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Mapping the potential for managed aquifer recharge in Kazakhstan

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water, Sustainable Development

Authors: Catalin Stefan, Jana Sallwey, Nurlan Ongdas, Mohammad Al-Hosban

Countries: Kazakhstan

Source: https://water-ca.org

MAR remains relatively underutilized in Central Asia despite its potential to address water scarcity issues, particularly those related to seasonal fluctuations in water availability. Thus, the objective of this study was to produce a map depicting the potential suitability of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) implementation in Kazakhstan. Employing a multi-criteria decision analysis framework, five distinct physical criteria were integrated and visualized within a Geographic Information System (GIS) to delineate the intrinsic potential for MAR. To demonstrate the practical utility of the generated map, it was applied to the Zhambyl region in Southern Kazakhstan, an area previously afflicted by water scarcity challenges. The intrinsic MAR potential map was overlaid with remote sensing data identifying potential water sources and water utilization patterns. This overlay facilitated the identification of priority areas with potential for further evaluation for MAR implementation. The map developed for Kazakhstan represents the first spatial representation of MAR potential within the region, serving to raise awareness regarding the feasibility of MAR application. It is anticipated that dissemination of this map will enhance understanding among water management professionals, potentially catalysing the integration of MAR methodologies into regional water management strategies.


Morphological variability of Cyprinus Carpio Linnaeus, 1758 in water bodies of the Balkash-Alakol basin

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water

Authors: Barakov R.Т., Sharakhmatov S.Е., Isbekov К.B., Nurtazin S.Т.

Countries: Kazakhstan

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

The article presents the results of investigating the morphological variability of carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) in three large reservoirs of the Balkash-Alakol Basin – Lake Balkash, Lake Alakol, and Kapshagay Reservoir. Morphological differences in several features (counting and plasticity) were found in three carp samples. The study included the examination of 24 plastic and 14 counting features. The method of digital image processing (Morpho J) was applied to analyze the differences of the target fish species specimens by body shape. The application of the principal component analysis (PCA) method allowed determining the main loadings on the studied morphological traits of carp. The statistically reliable differences revealed allow to confirm the formation of morphological changes in carp caused by
the duration of adaptive radiation, environmental factors of water bodies and annual artificial stocking of young fish.


Climate change and health in Central Asia: a literature review

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Climate

Authors: Susan Legro

Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

Source: Central Asian Journal of Sustainability and Climate Research

Countries in Central Asia, which are highly vulnerable to climate change, experience a variety of health-related impacts to which they must adapt. At the same time, climate mitigation interventions in the health sector in the form of reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may also generate co-benefits. This article briefly outlines current understanding of the relationship between climate change impacts and human health in Central Asia and establishes a scope of inquiry based on climate and health linkages as identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It then identifies and summarizes existing research and reporting on this topic in the region as presented in published literature, country reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and gray literature, including policy literature and documentation of donor-funded development interventions in the region. This review, which attempts to summarize and appraise those efforts, has found that both peer-reviewed and grey literature on this topic must be used with caution. The most frequent problems with peer-reviewed and grey literature resources involved confounding bias, and—to a lesser extent—self-reporting bias. The use of an appraisal framework for grey literature sources can frame these diverse resources in the proper context, identify potential shortcomings, and gain insights into current priorities and future direction for research on climate change and health in the region.


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.


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.


Water saving based on moisture observations: scheduling drip irrigation regimes for tomatoes under greenhouse conditions in Tajikistan

Year: 2024

Collections: Scientific Publications

Topics: Water, Climate, Agriculture

Authors: Nazar Nurzoda

Countries: Tajikistan

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

This study aimed to examine the efficiency of different drip irrigation regimes in spring film greenhouses for early tomato harvesting. The field (small-plot) experiment included designing and testing the watering technology suitable for rural Tajikistan. Irrigation, soil moisture, and tomato growth were followed for several seasons under four irrigation pilots. The experiments showed that the most effective drip irrigation regime for Elpida hybrid tomato was carrying it out while regulating soil moisture within 75-85%, with the irrigation demand of 4,978 m3/ha and irrigation norm of 99.0 m3/ha, also contributing to better water efficiency. The volume of irrigation water for the production of one unit of tomato crop in the second experiment was 5.73 m3/ha, i.e. 14.18% less than in the control plot. The study showed that the tomato evapotranspiration coefficient tends to increase as the threshold of soil mois-ture before and after irrigation grows. The maximum net yield amounted to 1,342 thou. Somoni/ha – 1.9 times or 52.7% higher compared to the control plot. The research findings can guide individual farmers and production facilities, as well as the overall development of agrarian economies like Tajikistan.


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.


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.


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.


Морфологическая изменчивость сазана Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758) в водоемах Балкаш-Алакольского бассейна

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.


Low-cost filtering materials for domestic water treatment

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.


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.


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.


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:


Климатическая уязвимость в Центральной Азии: Университеты и актуализация политики

Year: 2024

Collections: Policy Briefs

Topics: Climate

Authors: Жакенова Салтанат, Тлеппаев Арсен, Джанибеков Нодир, Крылова Виктория

Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

Source:

Университеты и академическое сообщество в Центральной Азии играют важнейшую роль в борьбе с последствиями изменения климата, включая повышение температуры, сокращение водных ресурсов и увеличение частоты экстремальных погодных явлений, угрожающих сельскому хозяйству и средствам к существованию. Приоритетным направлением академических усилий должны стать исследования стратегий адаптации, способствующих повышению устойчивости и стабильности. Однако, исследования в области изменения климата в Центральной Азии представлены недостаточно, что подчеркивает настоятельную необходимость расширения исследовательской деятельности


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