Water In Central Asia Research Articles

Central Asian and Northern Cyprus Water Desalination Experience

Water supply in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus, presents a significant challenge, warranting detailed examination of the region's water management practices. Drawing parallels with the desalination experiences in Central Asia and Northern Cyprus, this manuscript explores the intricate relationship between water infrastructure and the multifaceted challenges faced during young researchers experience exchange internship between Kazakhstan and Northern Cyprus. Through a comprehensive analysis of water desalination experiences and the evolution of water supply facilities in both regions, this study provides insights into effective water usage. Central Asia and Northern Cyprus share similar climate conditions and challenges in water management, thus serving as valuable case studies for understanding optimal water resource utilization. This paper emphasizes the significance of adopting a comprehensive approach to address the complexities of water supply. Current research underscores the importance of sustainable practices and innovative solutions in ensuring water security, particularly in the face of climate change. Sharing knowledge and experiences is crucial for addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensuring the resilience of water management systems. Key terms such as water desalination, water management in Cyprus, and water issues in Central Asia are meticulously explored, offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in the field of water resource management.

SCARCE RESOURCES, GREAT CHALLENGE: CENTRAL ASIA'S WATER CRISIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Central Asia has limited water resources and increasing pressure on these resources. Large-scale irrigation projects initiated during the Soviet Union led to the over-exploitation of the Amu Darya and Sir Darya rivers and the dramatic drying up of Lake Aral. This process has caused extensive damage to the ecosystem, declines in agricultural productivity and serious problems in human health. The article analyses the historical origins and the current state of the water crisis in the region and examines the challenges of water resources management and sustainability efforts. It will also emphasise the importance of regional cooperation and modern water management policies. Central Asia's water crisis is not only an environmental problem but also a social and economic challenge. In this context, sustainable water management strategies are vital for the region to achieve its long-term development goals. Türkiye’s cooperation with the Central Asian states in this regard and transferring experience to them will contribute to the regional states' confidence in Türkiye and increase Türkiye’s prestige in the international arena. The article will use the Russian, English, Turkish and Uzbek source search method.

Para-diplomacy's Role in Central Asian Transboundary Water Cooperation: An Assessment of Subnational Actors

This paper aims at identifying how Para diplomacy influences the Transboundary Water Cooperation in Central Asia with a special reference to the non-state and sub-state actors. This research aims at finding out what para diplomacy is, why it is done, the benefits and the risks associated with doing para diplomacy especially in managing the shared water resources. The research method used in the study combines the scenario mapping, typology analysis, and comparative case studies in order to obtain data from the Central Asian context. Thus, the reason for the findings is to increase an understanding of the Para diplomacy enhancement of transboundary water security.

How much we know about precipitation climatology over Tianshan Mountains––the Central Asian water tower

Tianshan Mountains are the headwater regions for the central Asia rivers, providing water resources for ecological protection and economic development in semiarid regions. Due to scarce observations, the hydroclimatic characteristics of the Tianshan Mountains Precipitation (TMP) measured over highland (>1500 m) regions remain to be revealed. Here, we show the TMP belongs to a monsoon-like climate regime, with a distinct annual range and a high ratio of summer-to-yearly rainfall, and exhibits six abrupt changes, dividing the annual cycle into six precipitation sub-seasons. Over the past 60 years, the yearly TMP has significantly increased by 17.3%, with a dramatic increase in winter (135.7%). The TMP displays a significant 40-day climatological intra-seasonal oscillation (CISO) in summer. The TMP CISO’s wet phase results from the confrontation of the eastward propagating mid-tropospheric Balkhash Lake Low and the southward migrating Mongolian High. The sudden changes in the two climatological circulation systems trigger TMP’s changes, shaping the 40-day CISO. Emerging scientific issues are also discussed.

Securitization of Water in Central Asia: Insights from the Regional Water Security Complex

Central Asia is revealing itself as an area where the problem of access to water and its current regional dynamics are almost at a radically critical level, where the potential risk of water disputes is still one of the highest in the world. Therefore, water scarcity issues and challenges triggered by the Aral Sea syndrome, the existing water mismanagement system, infrastructural and investment projects of dams and water reservoirs (Rogun, Naryn, Kambarata, Toktogul, etc.) and their transformation towards an existential threat will be analyzed within the securitization prism through the selected speech acts. This article will contribute to developing a new analytical framework of Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) and the securitization theory in water stress. The efforts undertaken in this article will ultimately lead to the development of a new approach to issues of water security and hydro politics within the concept of the Regional Water Security Complex (RWSC) on the example of the Central Asian region. The main research question will be to what extent water, as an immanent feature of this complex, is politicized and securitized. An important question will also be how the formulated security language indicates the existential nature of water as a security problem in the region.

Transboundary water management in Kyrgyzstan: International law aspects

This article explores the intricate dynamics of international water management, focusing on Kyrgyzstan's pivotal role in Central Asia's water resource distribution. It begins by highlighting global water scarcity issues and emphasizes the growing importance of international water law and liability for transboundary harm. Employing a range of scientific methodologies, the study delves into historical contexts, including Soviet-era water management initiatives and subsequent challenges post-dissolution. It elucidates the establishment of river basin organizations and the complexities of inter-state agreements and disagreements. The discussion section offers diverse perspectives on key issues such as equitable resource allocation and infrastructure maintenance costs, drawing from expert opinions and scholarly insights. Recent positive developments in interstate relations, particularly between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, regarding water resource management agreements are highlighted. In conclusion, the article advocates for bilateral agreements and regional cooperation to address water-related conflicts, proposing the potential creation of a supranational organization akin to the European Coal and Steel Community. Such initiatives aim to ensure equitable and sustainable water resource management while fostering economic cooperation in the region.

The study of the criterion of the marginal and dynamic equilibrium of the riverbed

The article analyzes the results of theoretical and experimental studies on the stability criterion of Rusle from non-cohesive soils, and notes their advantages and disadvantages. A significant influence of the average slope and transport sediment flow on head losses was revealed. An assessment was made of the shape of the channel of the limiting and dynamic equilibrium of the channel laid in easily eroded soils - justified for considering the parameters of molasses. A number of empirical substitutabilities are given A number of empirical substitutabilities are given w0=f(d) and i=f(H⁄d), constructed based on hydrometrological data of Central Asian water basins, which can be used for practical calculation of watercourses. An improved method has been proposed that allows the design of river structures taking into account the criterion of equilibrium of fine sand sediment grains.

Microplastics in the Syr Darya River Tributaries, Uzbekistan

The objective of the study was a pre-screening of the microplastic (MP) content in surface water and benthic sediments of Kara Darya and Chirchiq rivers, the first-order tributaries of the Syr Darya River (Uzbekistan). For the first time, surface water and benthic sediment samples were taken from this region, and quantitative screening of MPs 0.15–5.00 mm in size was performed. A combined visual and μRaman-based methodology was used to quantify and characterize artificial polymer microparticles from the surface water and bottom sediments of two rivers. The average abundance of MPs in the Kara Darya River and Chirchiq River waters was found to be 4.28 ± 0.09 and 0.95 ± 0.36 items per m3, and that in benthic sediments attained 244 ± 28.9 and 333 ± 11.5 items per kg of dry soil, respectively. MP concentration in surface water and benthic sediments of the Kara Darya River significantly exceeded (p-value < 0.01) that in the Chirchiq River. Microfibers were most abundant; the proportion of MP fibers in the water of the Kara Darya and Chirchiq rivers amounted to 89 and 95%, respectively, and that in benthic sediments of the rivers was 86 and 84%, respectively. The dominance of microfibers may indicate the route of entry to the rivers through domestic wastewater treatment plant discharges. The polymer microparticles in the surface water and benthic sediments of the Kara Darya and Chirchiq rivers were mainly represented by polyethylenterephtalate (PET), which accounted for half of all MPs detected in the Kara Darya River. Microparticles of textile origin were particularly abundant in the Kara Darya River, where viscose and nylon fibers were also found, which suggests the leading role of synthetic textiles in the pollution. The reported data are the first experimental evidence of MP pollution of the Syr Darya tributaries, but the distribution and circulation of MPs in surface water in Central Asia requires further comprehensive studies.

Detection of the nonlinear response of vegetation to terrestrial water storage changes in central Asian endorheic basins

The terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA) is an important parameter for assessing the land water budget, and it interacts well with terrestrial ecosystems via complex hydrological processes. Recently, the decline in central Asian terrestrial water storage (TWS) has threatened the health of local ecosystems. Therefore, it is of great significance to adopt an efficient approach to explore and identify the nonlinear relationship between two important indicators, i.e., the TWSA and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the arid central Asian endorheic basins. In this study, we analysed the long-term trends of the TWSA and NDVI, and identified the lag month (1 month) as the optimal moving window of the nonlinear Granger causality test embedded in random forest to detect the nonlinear NDVI change response of NDVI changes in vegetation to the TWSA from 2003 to 2015. There are decreasing trends in TWSAs over approximately 81.7% of the study area and the NDVI generally decreased resulting in approximately 36% vegetation browning in the study area. The nonlinear Granger unidirectional causes of the TWSA were responsible for 97.9% of the NDVI variation in the study area considering the optimal response time for moving windows. The causes of vegetation browning in the central Asian Aral Sea basin and vegetation greening in the basins of Northwest China could be mostly explained by the changes in TWS. Our findings contribute to understanding the nonlinear causal linkages between vegetation and the TWSA in endorheic basins, and these findings provide insights for obtaining terrestrial water consumption patterns and water resource management under the joint influence of climate change and human activities.

Avoiding a Central Asian Water War: Challenges and Opportunities for Cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Avoiding a Central Asian Water War: Challenges and Opportunities for Cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Tree-ring perspective on past and future mass balance of the glaciers in Tien Shan (Central Asia): An example from the accumulation area of Tuyuksu Glacier, Kazakhstan

The Tien Shan glaciers, known as “Central Asia's Water Tower,” have a direct influence on water resource management in downstream parched areas. The limited time periods of currently available observational climate datasets hamper an accurate examination of glacial changes in Central Asia in terms of long-term climate change implications. In this work, we analysed this change by combining tree-ring-based reconstructions of the accumulation area of the Tuyuksu Glacier during the last 382 years with models of the future mass balance of this glacier until the year 2100 CE. The results show that mountain precipitation is an important force driving the cycles of the cryosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere in arid Central Asia. This driving force has broad coherence in spatiotemporal variation, with periodic cycles and decadal shifts caused by the North Atlantic Oscillation and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. The multi-model mean in CMIP6 suggests a downward trend in glacier mass balance until 2100, but this trend will be moderated by increased precipitation. The findings of the study could help to explain how the glacial mass balance has evolved in the Tien Shan Mountains of Central Asia throughout time and its relationship to biosphere and hydrosphere.

Corrigendum: Glacier runoff variation since 1981 in the upper Naryn river catchments, Central Tien Shan

The original version of this article has been updated.In the published article, there was a mistake in the Funding statement. In the published article, there was an error. [The Acknowledgements section is missing one statement ].A correction has been made to [Acknowledgements], This sentence previously stated: "[We thank the project CICADA (Cryospheric Climate Services for improved Adaptation), with contract no. 81049674 between Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the University of Fribourg. The CAWa (Central Asian Water) project (http://www.cawa-project.net) was supported by the German Federal Foreign Office (contract no. AA7090002) as a part of the "Berlin Process". This work was carried out with the support of the CAWa ("Central Asia Water") project (www. cawaproject .net, contract no. AA7090002) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the "Berlin Process". The authors are grateful to Agency of Hydrometeorology under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic (KyrgyzHydromet) for the provision of data.]"The corrected paragraph appears below:

Exploring the changes and driving forces of water footprint in Central Asia: A global trade assessment

Central Asia is a strategic geopolitical region, which has recently been identified to be on the verge of a water-related crisis. Yet, most studies addressing water-related issues across Central Asia have lacked multi-sectoral and cross-country perspectives. This study used the multi-region input−output model to quantify the water footprint in Central Asia as well as the STIRPAT technique to study its driving forces from 1995 to 2015. The results revealed that the production and consumption-based water footprints of Central Asia sharply increased, as proven by the growth rate of 12.69 × 109 m3/annum and 9.52 × 109 m3/annum, respectively. The water-intensive agriculture sector completely dominated Central Asia's water footprint. In addition, between 1995 and 2015, the volume of imported and exported water footprints in Central Asia increased. In terms of exports, the internal water footprint accounted for 3%–5%, whereas the external accounted for 95%–97%. With respect to imports, the internal water footprint dropped from 50% to 37%. Nevertheless, the gap between export and import volumes was approximately ten-fold, which revealed that international trade exacerbates Central Asia's water crisis. Furthermore, urbanisation was revealed to have significant positive effect on water footprint changes compared to population, gross domestic product (GDP) and water use efficiency in Central Asia. This study provides policy implications for promoting Central Asia's water resource management, as well as highlighting the driving forces of water footprint that need attention, resulting in cooperative water resource management to promote sustainable development.

Investment traps and resilience to shocks: An experimental study of Central Asian collective water governance

AbstractWe theoretically and empirically investigate the investments of water users in a stylized local irrigation system. We model irrigation self‐management as an interdependent interaction of users in an evolutionary game and study the resilience of the irrigation system. The theoretical model implies multiple stable equilibria at different efficiency levels. Users may be trapped in a low level of collective investment or succeed by being locked in a high collective investment level, implying an irrigation system resilient against external shocks. The study seeks to empirically identify such lock‐ins in experimental interactions among Central Asian farmers. Furthermore, we inquire into whether a pre‐play cheap talk opportunity with peer‐monitoring or sanctioning treatments influence the self‐reinforcing dynamic. Our findings revealed several stable states. Among these states, there are both low and high levels of efficiency, which we measure in the size of public good. Communication among users results in higher collective investment levels. However, this does not guarantee the complete elimination of inferior conventions from best‐response play. Penalties crowded out the intrinsic motivation to cooperate as they reduced collective investment in both low‐ and high‐level equilibria. Our findings imply that institutional settings tailored to each community can improve resilience to climate‐driven perturbations in water resources.

Aridity and the History of Water in Central Asia and Beyond

Aridity and the History of Water in Central Asia and Beyond

Book Review: Menga F. Power and Water in Central Asia. London and New York: Routledge, 2018

Book Review: Menga F. Power and Water in Central Asia. London and New York: Routledge, 2018

Risk assessment of soil erosion in Central Asia under global warming

Soil erosion is a threat to the ecological environment and human health. Climate change is closely related to soil erosion, and the ecological environment in Central Asia is sensitive to climate change. However, there is a lack of comprehensive risk assessments of the soil erosion by wind and water in Central Asia under climate change. This study used climate model data to simulate the spatiotemporal variation of wind and water erosion in Central Asia during the current period (1996–2015) and in the future with global warming of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C (GW1.5 °C and GW2.0 °C, respectively) compared with the pre-industrial levels. The variations of exposure of population to soil erosion in the future were assessed. The results showed that the overall wind erosion in Central Asia is decreasing, but the area in which increasing wind erosion occurs will increase (2.6% under GW1.5 °C, and 8.6% under GW2.0 °C) compared with the current period. Water erosion in Central Asia is increasing, and the area in which increasing water erosion occurs will increase by 10.2% under GW1.5 °C, and 20.3% under GW2.0 °C. The central arid desert shrub area of Central Asia is the only area where both wind and water erosion increase significantly. Wind speed and precipitation are the main factors that contribute to wind and water erosion. Higher vegetation cover helps to reduce wind and water erosion. Under global warming, more population in Central Asia will be affected by soil erosion, primarily in the upper reaches of the Amu River and the lower reaches of the Syr River. This study should provide a scientific basis for formulating the ecological development plans in Central Asia to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Adaptive water governance in Central Asia: Un-puzzling the concept

This article aims to introduce different views regarding the concept of adaptive capacity in water governance and unpack it in the Central Asian context, specifically. The desk study research built on the recommendations provided by the academia, policy papers and by experts on enhancing adaptive water governance. The juxtaposition of the three sets of recommendations demonstrates that the further strengthening of IWRM, as well as experimental approach to resource management, improved access to climate knowledge and disaster risk reduction mechanisms can consolidate the adaptive capacities of Central Asian water governance systems. The research was limited by the specific set of selected opinions and should be expanded in the future. As a practical outcome, the analysis aimed to provide the decision-makers in Central Asian states with better science-based avenues to planning adaptation measures ensuite the water sector. Thus, the study can be considered a stepping stone in the discussion on the adaptive capacities of water governance in the Central Asian region.

INSIGHTS FOR CENTRAL ASIA FROM THE PRINCIPLES AND DISPUTES OF INTERNATIONAL WATER LAW

This article analyzes legal aspects of the Central Asian water dispute with reference to international water law principles. In other words, it examines the existing principles of international water law, and identifies those which dominate in setting international discourses. Moreover, this study provides examples of water disputes around the world, such as the Nile River, the Mekong River, the Indus River cases, in which several non-Central Asian states, facing similar conflicts, such as India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, South-East Asian nations are involved. In particular, it is emphasizes that even countries, which has more problematic relations rather than Central Asian republics, could eventually achieve a mutual legal settlement of water-related tensions. Finally, it offers solutions to the water disputes for Central Asian countries in the light of the principles of international water law laid down by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the 2012 Kishenganga Case.

Hydrometeorological data from a Remotely Operated Multi-Parameter Station network in Central Asia

Abstract. The regional research network Water in Central Asia (CAWa) funded by the German Federal Foreign Office consists of 18 remotely operated multi-parameter stations (ROMPSs) in Central Asia. These stations were installed by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam, Germany, in close cooperation with the Central-Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences (CAIAG) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; the national hydrometeorological services in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; the Ulugh Beg Astronomical Institute in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; and the Kabul Polytechnic University, Afghanistan. The primary objective of these stations is to support the establishment of a reliable data basis of meteorological and hydrological data especially in remote areas with extreme climate conditions for applications in climate and water monitoring in Central Asia. Up to now, 10 years of data have been provided for an area of scarce station distribution and with limited open-access data which can be used for a wide range of scientific or engineering applications. The data described in this paper are made publicly available with the digital object identifier (DOI) https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.1.2.2020.002 (Zech et al., 2020) or via the Sensor Data Storage System (SDSS) at http://sdss.caiag.kg (last access: 22 February 2021).