According to the moderate climate change scenario, the direct impact of climate change on irrigat... more According to the moderate climate change scenario, the direct impact of climate change on irrigated crops, including cotton, wheat, apples, tomatoes, and potatoes, is pro-jected to decrease the yields by 1–13% by 2050. However, the demand for food is expected to increase overall due to the population growth and poverty reduction goals. The rate of climate change in the countries varies. The highest decadal rates of climate change were recorded in Uzbekistan at 0.29°C (1950-2005) and in Kazakhstan at 0.26°C (1936-2005). The climate change rate in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were 0.08°C and 0.10°C, respectively. In these upstream countries, the area of forests and mountain ranges is relatively large, and the possible negative impact of climatic factors is relatively small. Thus, the contemporary problems in Central Asia in the context of climate change are related to a growing scarcity of water resources; uneven distribution of water resources across the countries in relation to the nee...
In the current context of climate change, water resources are an important source of the economy ... more In the current context of climate change, water resources are an important source of the economy of Uzbekistan. The article assesses the climatic conditions of Sirdarya province for 2006-2018, groundwater resources for 2010-2018, their efficient use, the chemical composition of groundwater (chlorine and sulfate from anions, Cu, Be, Mo, As, Pb, Se from harmful heavy metals and Sr). Analysis of the time and space distribution of the amount of heavy metals in the groundwater of the province showed that their amount did not exceed the allowable limit. Changes in the amount of groundwater used for drinking, irrigation, industrial and technical purposes in the province were identified and evaluated, as well as scientific and practical recommendations for sustainable use and protection of groundwater resources.
In irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin, salt-affected areas are increasingly rising and this ne... more In irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin, salt-affected areas are increasingly rising and this negatively impacts agricultural development and food security in such countries located in the basin. Drivers, increasing salt-affected areas, are assumed to be climate change, unregulated high groundwater levels and its increased mineralization, poor functioning of the collector-drainage system, and insufficient compliance with agro-technical requirements. These drivers, in turn, lead to the withdrawal of arable land from agricultural purposes and a significant drop in crop yields. This is especially the case in the irrigated areas of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, including Uzbekistan, southern Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. In regard to Uzbekistan, the research on soil salinity assessment was conducted in the irrigated areas of the Syrdarya province by analyzing raw data derived from traditional methods from 2000 to 2015, as well as from 2016 to 2019 using the i...
Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage ... more Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage among the countries of the region it is also the main source of tension between upstream and downstream water users. Due to the rapidly shrinking glaciers in the Pamir, Tien-Shan and Alai mountains, the available water resources will, by 2030, be 30% lower than today while the water demand of the growing economies will increase by 30%. This will further aggravate the pressure on the water resources and increase the water deficit caused by an unsustainable water use and political agendas. These challenges can only be overcome by an integrated water resource management for the important transboundary river catchments. The basis for such an IWRM approach however needs to be a solid data base about the status quo of the water resources. To that end the research presented here provides a detailed overview of the transboundary Zarafshan River (Tajikistan-Uzbekistan), the lifeline for more than...
Saline areas are progressively increasing in irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin and this obstr... more Saline areas are progressively increasing in irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin and this obstructs intensive agricultural development and food security in this region. Such circumstances, leading to the expansion of salt-affected areas, are assumed to become climate change, rising of groundwater levels and its mineralizations, poor functioning of the collector-drainage system, and insufficient compliance with agro-technical requirements. These drivers, in turn, lead to the withdrawal of arable land for agricultural purposes and a significant drop in crop yields. Regarding Uzbekistan, this research on soil salinity assessment was conducted in the irrigated areas of the Sirdarya province by analyzing raw data derived from traditional methods from 2000 to 2015, as well as from 2016 to 2019, using the integrated traditional and geographic information systems (GIS)–based methods. Soil salinity maps of the Sirdarya province were created to investigate spatial and temporal changes in soil salinity using the inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation method based on the results of field survey and laboratory studies. The results of this research revealed that the IDW interpolation method had a great potential and accuracy to map longitudinal changes in salt-affected irrigated areas. Moreover, it was determined that soil salinity highly depends on local terrain conditions and there is a weak dependence on climatic factors. The main findings of this research advocate agricultural specialists and local farmers to get distinctly encouraged to take the following measures to address the actual soil salinity state in the irrigated areas of the province: targeted and economic use of irrigation water; existing drainage networks are in perfect working condition and monitoring their full effective operation; and, lastly, accelerating the integration of innovative GIS technologies into traditional methods.
Abstract Soil salinization is a major problem in many arid and agriculturally used regions and Ce... more Abstract Soil salinization is a major problem in many arid and agriculturally used regions and Central Asia is a prime example for this. Intensive irrigation, saline water resources, shallow groundwater tables and high evapotranspiration rates lead to the enrichment of salts in the top soils and a reduced soil productivity in the Central Asian lowlands. This is aggravated by a strong socioeconomic growth which results in an increase in the water consumption and the intensification of the farming practices (e.g. fertilizer application). This article analyses these problems for the Navoi province in Uzbekistan, a region located in the lower reaches of the Zarafshan River in the Kyzyl Kum desert. Between 2000 and 2015 detailed data on the groundwater table, groundwater salinity and the soil salinity were collected, complemented by meteorological data, soil characteristics, water use, and fertilizer statistics. Based on these datasets the ameliorate soil conditions in the Navoi irrigation zone and their temporal dynamic were assessed. The results show that both the groundwater and soil salinity have improved slightly during the last 15 years. Especially the percentages of samples with a high salinity have been reduced significantly. In 2015 only 0.7% of the irrigated soils have been categorized as highly saline while 71.3% were only slightly saline and 18.3% non-saline, while those values for the year 2000 were 6.1%, 51.5%, and 13.2%. The ameliorate soil conditions, on the other hand, have not improved accordingly, but showed a slight deterioration, even if they are overall satisfactory in 79.6% of the area. The percentage of irrigated soils with an unsatisfactory condition has increased from 3 to 13.9% between 2000 and 2014. This development is not related to any climatological, soil or groundwater parameters, so that the impacts of an increased water usage for urban and industrial purposes (and the related effects on the water quality), as well as the increased fertilizer application, seem to be a possible explanation for the observed trend. The results show the impact of the low efficiency of the irrigation and drainage system, which is outdated, not well maintained and thus often failing, on the groundwater level and the soil salinization, but also how the attempts to update the system during the recent years has led to a slight improvement of the soil and groundwater salinity.
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
Salinization processes are taking place as a result of rising groundwater level and its mineraliz... more Salinization processes are taking place as a result of rising groundwater level and its mineralization rate due to inefficient and unsustainable use of water and land resources in Uzbekistan. This leads to a reduction of arable land productivity and a decrease in nationwide yield production. Especially, salinization is the case in the plain irrigated areas of Uzbekistan where the groundwater is closer to the surface. Salinization processes occur as a result of an increase in the level of groundwater and the degree of their mineralization due to inefficient and irrational use of water and land resources in Uzbekistan. This leads to a decrease in the productivity of irrigated land and a decrease in yields throughout the country. Principally, salinization takes place in irrigated plain areas like the Syrdarya province, where mineralized groundwater is closer to the surface. Considering the geo-location of Uzbekistan as an aridic zone, there is a massive stress on groundwater because of...
Groundwater is critical for supporting socioeconomic development but has experienced gradual decr... more Groundwater is critical for supporting socioeconomic development but has experienced gradual decreases in recent decades due to rapid population growth and economic development throughout the world. In recent years, the utilization of transboundary groundwater resources has received extensive attention globally. Because transboundary aquifers do not follow borders and are concealed, neighboring countries are prone to experiencing conflicts over the use of these transboundary groundwater resources. Therefore, an accurate and comprehensive assessment of the development potential of groundwater resources in these transboundary aquifers is necessary for the rational and fair use of those groundwater resources. Transboundary groundwater resources are an important water source for life, production, and ecological water use in Central Asia, which has a distinctive continental arid and semi-arid climate, and surface water resources in this region are relatively scarce. Considering the exist...
The Central Asian lowlands are characterized by an arid and continental climate. At the same time... more The Central Asian lowlands are characterized by an arid and continental climate. At the same time, the large streams and rivers have been providing water for the development of flourishing oases and extensive irrigated farming areas. Bukhara is one of those oases. The population of 1.7 mln. and especially the agricultural sector (with an irrigated area of 275,000 ha) use a considerable amount of water. But as the flat topography does not provide sufficient natural drainage, water logging and raising groundwater tables have become serious problems for the agricultural productivity. The combination of the high salinity of the irrigation water and the generous application of fertilizers leads to a widespread soil salinization. Excessive leaching is supposed to reduce the top soil salinity, but as the drainage system is only covering a small portion of the irrigated areas and is in need of maintenance, this process only contributes to the ongoing salinization and the reduction of soil f...
Originally, a shallow saline depression between the Kyzylkum and the Nurata mountain range the Ay... more Originally, a shallow saline depression between the Kyzylkum and the Nurata mountain range the Aydarkul– Arnasay Lake System (AALS) was created in 1969 when a catastrophic flood event in the Syr Darya catchment exceeded the capacity of the Chardarya reservoir. Additional water diversions further increased the volume of the lakes to up to 42.2 mln m3 in 2006. After the breakdown of the commercial fishing in the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea in 1983, the AALS became the most important fishery lake in Uzbekistan with an annual catch of more than 4600 tons (in 1988). In recent years, however, the fish catch experienced a sharp decline (down to 728 tons in 2006) due to the increased inflow of drainage water from the large Golodnaya Steppe (Hunger Steppe) irrigation scheme (e.g., 0.1 km3 in 1960, 1.0 km3 in 1970, 2.3 km3 in 1980, 2.9 km3 in 2000 and 3.6 km3 in 2010) and a decrease in freshwater inflow from the Chardarya reservoir (e.g., 4.0 km3 in 1995, 2.3 km3 in 2005 and 1.8 km3 in 2010). ...
Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage ... more Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage among the countries of the region it is also the main source of tension between upstream and downstream water users. Due to the rapidly shrinking glaciers in the Pamir, Tien-Shan and Alai mountains, the available water resources will, by 2030, be 30% lower than today while the water demand of the growing economies will increase by 30%. This will further aggravate the pressure on the water resources and increase the water deficit caused by an unsustainable water use and political agendas. These challenges can only be overcome by an integrated water resource management for the important transboundary river catchments. The basis for such an IWRM approach however needs to be a solid data base about the status quo of the water resources. To that end the research presented here provides a detailed overview of the transboundary Zarafshan River (Tajikistan-Uzbekistan), the lifeline for more than 6 mln people. The Zarafshan River is well suited for this as it is not only one of the most important rivers in Central Asia but because the public availability of hydrological and ecological data is very limited, Furthermore the catchment is characterized by the same imbalances in the Water-Energy-Food-Nexus as most river systems in that region, which makes the Zarafshan a perfect model river for Central Asia as a whole. The findings presented here are based on field measurements, existing data from the national hydrometeorological services and an extensive literature analysis and cover the status quo of the meteorological and hydrological characteristics of the Zarafshan as well as the most important water quality parameters (pH, conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, arsenic, chromate, copper, zinc, fluoride, petroleum products, phenols and the aquatic invertebrate fauna). The hydrology of the Zarafshan is characterized by a high natural discharge dynamic in the mountainous upper parts of the catchment and by sizeable anthropogenic water extractions in the lower parts of the catchment, where on average 60.6% of the available water is diverted for irrigation purposes in the Samarkand and Navoi provinces. The water quality is heavily affected by the unsustainable land use and inadequate/missing water purification techniques. The reduced discharge and the return flow of untreated agricultural drainage water lead to a critical pollution of the river in the lower parts of the catchment. Additional sources of pollutants where identified in the upstream (the Anzob ore mining and processing complex) and downstream (the Navoi special economic area) parts of the catchment. The impact of the different water uses on the availability and the quality of the water resources are discussed in detail and outlook for the expected development during the next decades is given. These results form the basis for future investigations and for the conception of an IWRM plan for the Zarafshan River catchment.
The Central Asian countries are in particular affected by the climate change. The cultural and ec... more The Central Asian countries are in particular affected by the climate change. The cultural and economic centers in this mostly arid region rely completely on the water resources of the Pamir, Tien Shan and Alay mountain glaciers. But by 2030 the discharge generated by those glaciers will be 30% less than today while the water demand will be up to 30% higher than today. Already today the unsustainable land and water use causes a water deficit and the impairment of the water quality. In most parts of Central Asia an detailed analysis of the status quo as the basis for the development of an integrated resource management plan is impossible due to fragmented or missing monitoring data. The study presented here provides an detailed overview of the quantity and quality of the water resources of the transboundary Zarafshan River – one of the most important but until now hardly studied rivers in Central Asia. The Zarafshan is characterized by a highly dynamic discharge and is massively impa...
The concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in the airborne particulate matter (PM) from the backgro... more The concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in the airborne particulate matter (PM) from the background areas in Сentral Asia, namely, Abramov Glacier, Sary-Chelek Biospheric Reserve, and Chatkal Biospheric Reserve, were studied by using a high sensitive neutron activation analysis. The annual concentration change in HMs in the PM from Аbramov Glacier was investigated in more detail as an environmental clean area compared to other remote areas. It was found that the concentrations of HMs in the PM from Abramov Glacier varied from 5,960 ng/m3 for Fe to 0.0005 ng/m3 for Au. High concentrations of Au, Cr, Sb, Sc, Fe, Co, and PM were observed in summer season due to the contribution of soil dust from the arid territories. A general increase in the concentrations of Hg, Zn, and Br in the PM of Аbramov Glacier in a cold season specified mainly anthropogenic sources. Data of lognormal trends for the distribution of HMs in the PM of Abramov Glacier showed that a strongly pronounced bimodal distribution was characteristic for Au, Sb, Hg, Na, Co, Zn, and PM. The high concentration of Fe, Na, Sb, and Sm in the fractions containing large particles of PM was related to the contribution of the local lithogenic natural aerosols. The high concentration of Cr, Zn, Sb, Br, Na, Cu, and Au in the fractions containing small particles less than 0.4 µm might be related to the contribution from the thermal power stations, metallurgical enterprises, forest fires, etc. The obtained data are important for an estimation of background level pollution of atmospheric air of the remote regions in Central Asia with heavy metals.
NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security, 2008
Problems of using, monitoring, managing, and protecting water resources of the Aral Sea basin are... more Problems of using, monitoring, managing, and protecting water resources of the Aral Sea basin are pressing because of the extremely limited nature of these resources, increasing pollution levels, and the threat of a shrinking — and gradually disappearing — Aral Sea. Results from the author's long-term research on monitoring and protection of water of the main rivers — the Amu
The geographic area of Central Asia is largely arid and semi-arid and very sensitive to environme... more The geographic area of Central Asia is largely arid and semi-arid and very sensitive to environmental perturbations. Recent changes in social structures and resource management practices, accompanied by regional climate change, have caused substantial environmental concerns. The Aral Sea has shrunk by almost 30% over the past two decades, the flow rate of the two major rivers in the region,
According to the moderate climate change scenario, the direct impact of climate change on irrigat... more According to the moderate climate change scenario, the direct impact of climate change on irrigated crops, including cotton, wheat, apples, tomatoes, and potatoes, is pro-jected to decrease the yields by 1–13% by 2050. However, the demand for food is expected to increase overall due to the population growth and poverty reduction goals. The rate of climate change in the countries varies. The highest decadal rates of climate change were recorded in Uzbekistan at 0.29°C (1950-2005) and in Kazakhstan at 0.26°C (1936-2005). The climate change rate in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were 0.08°C and 0.10°C, respectively. In these upstream countries, the area of forests and mountain ranges is relatively large, and the possible negative impact of climatic factors is relatively small. Thus, the contemporary problems in Central Asia in the context of climate change are related to a growing scarcity of water resources; uneven distribution of water resources across the countries in relation to the nee...
In the current context of climate change, water resources are an important source of the economy ... more In the current context of climate change, water resources are an important source of the economy of Uzbekistan. The article assesses the climatic conditions of Sirdarya province for 2006-2018, groundwater resources for 2010-2018, their efficient use, the chemical composition of groundwater (chlorine and sulfate from anions, Cu, Be, Mo, As, Pb, Se from harmful heavy metals and Sr). Analysis of the time and space distribution of the amount of heavy metals in the groundwater of the province showed that their amount did not exceed the allowable limit. Changes in the amount of groundwater used for drinking, irrigation, industrial and technical purposes in the province were identified and evaluated, as well as scientific and practical recommendations for sustainable use and protection of groundwater resources.
In irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin, salt-affected areas are increasingly rising and this ne... more In irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin, salt-affected areas are increasingly rising and this negatively impacts agricultural development and food security in such countries located in the basin. Drivers, increasing salt-affected areas, are assumed to be climate change, unregulated high groundwater levels and its increased mineralization, poor functioning of the collector-drainage system, and insufficient compliance with agro-technical requirements. These drivers, in turn, lead to the withdrawal of arable land from agricultural purposes and a significant drop in crop yields. This is especially the case in the irrigated areas of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, including Uzbekistan, southern Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. In regard to Uzbekistan, the research on soil salinity assessment was conducted in the irrigated areas of the Syrdarya province by analyzing raw data derived from traditional methods from 2000 to 2015, as well as from 2016 to 2019 using the i...
Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage ... more Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage among the countries of the region it is also the main source of tension between upstream and downstream water users. Due to the rapidly shrinking glaciers in the Pamir, Tien-Shan and Alai mountains, the available water resources will, by 2030, be 30% lower than today while the water demand of the growing economies will increase by 30%. This will further aggravate the pressure on the water resources and increase the water deficit caused by an unsustainable water use and political agendas. These challenges can only be overcome by an integrated water resource management for the important transboundary river catchments. The basis for such an IWRM approach however needs to be a solid data base about the status quo of the water resources. To that end the research presented here provides a detailed overview of the transboundary Zarafshan River (Tajikistan-Uzbekistan), the lifeline for more than...
Saline areas are progressively increasing in irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin and this obstr... more Saline areas are progressively increasing in irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin and this obstructs intensive agricultural development and food security in this region. Such circumstances, leading to the expansion of salt-affected areas, are assumed to become climate change, rising of groundwater levels and its mineralizations, poor functioning of the collector-drainage system, and insufficient compliance with agro-technical requirements. These drivers, in turn, lead to the withdrawal of arable land for agricultural purposes and a significant drop in crop yields. Regarding Uzbekistan, this research on soil salinity assessment was conducted in the irrigated areas of the Sirdarya province by analyzing raw data derived from traditional methods from 2000 to 2015, as well as from 2016 to 2019, using the integrated traditional and geographic information systems (GIS)–based methods. Soil salinity maps of the Sirdarya province were created to investigate spatial and temporal changes in soil salinity using the inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation method based on the results of field survey and laboratory studies. The results of this research revealed that the IDW interpolation method had a great potential and accuracy to map longitudinal changes in salt-affected irrigated areas. Moreover, it was determined that soil salinity highly depends on local terrain conditions and there is a weak dependence on climatic factors. The main findings of this research advocate agricultural specialists and local farmers to get distinctly encouraged to take the following measures to address the actual soil salinity state in the irrigated areas of the province: targeted and economic use of irrigation water; existing drainage networks are in perfect working condition and monitoring their full effective operation; and, lastly, accelerating the integration of innovative GIS technologies into traditional methods.
Abstract Soil salinization is a major problem in many arid and agriculturally used regions and Ce... more Abstract Soil salinization is a major problem in many arid and agriculturally used regions and Central Asia is a prime example for this. Intensive irrigation, saline water resources, shallow groundwater tables and high evapotranspiration rates lead to the enrichment of salts in the top soils and a reduced soil productivity in the Central Asian lowlands. This is aggravated by a strong socioeconomic growth which results in an increase in the water consumption and the intensification of the farming practices (e.g. fertilizer application). This article analyses these problems for the Navoi province in Uzbekistan, a region located in the lower reaches of the Zarafshan River in the Kyzyl Kum desert. Between 2000 and 2015 detailed data on the groundwater table, groundwater salinity and the soil salinity were collected, complemented by meteorological data, soil characteristics, water use, and fertilizer statistics. Based on these datasets the ameliorate soil conditions in the Navoi irrigation zone and their temporal dynamic were assessed. The results show that both the groundwater and soil salinity have improved slightly during the last 15 years. Especially the percentages of samples with a high salinity have been reduced significantly. In 2015 only 0.7% of the irrigated soils have been categorized as highly saline while 71.3% were only slightly saline and 18.3% non-saline, while those values for the year 2000 were 6.1%, 51.5%, and 13.2%. The ameliorate soil conditions, on the other hand, have not improved accordingly, but showed a slight deterioration, even if they are overall satisfactory in 79.6% of the area. The percentage of irrigated soils with an unsatisfactory condition has increased from 3 to 13.9% between 2000 and 2014. This development is not related to any climatological, soil or groundwater parameters, so that the impacts of an increased water usage for urban and industrial purposes (and the related effects on the water quality), as well as the increased fertilizer application, seem to be a possible explanation for the observed trend. The results show the impact of the low efficiency of the irrigation and drainage system, which is outdated, not well maintained and thus often failing, on the groundwater level and the soil salinization, but also how the attempts to update the system during the recent years has led to a slight improvement of the soil and groundwater salinity.
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
Salinization processes are taking place as a result of rising groundwater level and its mineraliz... more Salinization processes are taking place as a result of rising groundwater level and its mineralization rate due to inefficient and unsustainable use of water and land resources in Uzbekistan. This leads to a reduction of arable land productivity and a decrease in nationwide yield production. Especially, salinization is the case in the plain irrigated areas of Uzbekistan where the groundwater is closer to the surface. Salinization processes occur as a result of an increase in the level of groundwater and the degree of their mineralization due to inefficient and irrational use of water and land resources in Uzbekistan. This leads to a decrease in the productivity of irrigated land and a decrease in yields throughout the country. Principally, salinization takes place in irrigated plain areas like the Syrdarya province, where mineralized groundwater is closer to the surface. Considering the geo-location of Uzbekistan as an aridic zone, there is a massive stress on groundwater because of...
Groundwater is critical for supporting socioeconomic development but has experienced gradual decr... more Groundwater is critical for supporting socioeconomic development but has experienced gradual decreases in recent decades due to rapid population growth and economic development throughout the world. In recent years, the utilization of transboundary groundwater resources has received extensive attention globally. Because transboundary aquifers do not follow borders and are concealed, neighboring countries are prone to experiencing conflicts over the use of these transboundary groundwater resources. Therefore, an accurate and comprehensive assessment of the development potential of groundwater resources in these transboundary aquifers is necessary for the rational and fair use of those groundwater resources. Transboundary groundwater resources are an important water source for life, production, and ecological water use in Central Asia, which has a distinctive continental arid and semi-arid climate, and surface water resources in this region are relatively scarce. Considering the exist...
The Central Asian lowlands are characterized by an arid and continental climate. At the same time... more The Central Asian lowlands are characterized by an arid and continental climate. At the same time, the large streams and rivers have been providing water for the development of flourishing oases and extensive irrigated farming areas. Bukhara is one of those oases. The population of 1.7 mln. and especially the agricultural sector (with an irrigated area of 275,000 ha) use a considerable amount of water. But as the flat topography does not provide sufficient natural drainage, water logging and raising groundwater tables have become serious problems for the agricultural productivity. The combination of the high salinity of the irrigation water and the generous application of fertilizers leads to a widespread soil salinization. Excessive leaching is supposed to reduce the top soil salinity, but as the drainage system is only covering a small portion of the irrigated areas and is in need of maintenance, this process only contributes to the ongoing salinization and the reduction of soil f...
Originally, a shallow saline depression between the Kyzylkum and the Nurata mountain range the Ay... more Originally, a shallow saline depression between the Kyzylkum and the Nurata mountain range the Aydarkul– Arnasay Lake System (AALS) was created in 1969 when a catastrophic flood event in the Syr Darya catchment exceeded the capacity of the Chardarya reservoir. Additional water diversions further increased the volume of the lakes to up to 42.2 mln m3 in 2006. After the breakdown of the commercial fishing in the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea in 1983, the AALS became the most important fishery lake in Uzbekistan with an annual catch of more than 4600 tons (in 1988). In recent years, however, the fish catch experienced a sharp decline (down to 728 tons in 2006) due to the increased inflow of drainage water from the large Golodnaya Steppe (Hunger Steppe) irrigation scheme (e.g., 0.1 km3 in 1960, 1.0 km3 in 1970, 2.3 km3 in 1980, 2.9 km3 in 2000 and 3.6 km3 in 2010) and a decrease in freshwater inflow from the Chardarya reservoir (e.g., 4.0 km3 in 1995, 2.3 km3 in 2005 and 1.8 km3 in 2010). ...
Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage ... more Water is the most valuable resource in Central Asia and due to its uneven distribution and usage among the countries of the region it is also the main source of tension between upstream and downstream water users. Due to the rapidly shrinking glaciers in the Pamir, Tien-Shan and Alai mountains, the available water resources will, by 2030, be 30% lower than today while the water demand of the growing economies will increase by 30%. This will further aggravate the pressure on the water resources and increase the water deficit caused by an unsustainable water use and political agendas. These challenges can only be overcome by an integrated water resource management for the important transboundary river catchments. The basis for such an IWRM approach however needs to be a solid data base about the status quo of the water resources. To that end the research presented here provides a detailed overview of the transboundary Zarafshan River (Tajikistan-Uzbekistan), the lifeline for more than 6 mln people. The Zarafshan River is well suited for this as it is not only one of the most important rivers in Central Asia but because the public availability of hydrological and ecological data is very limited, Furthermore the catchment is characterized by the same imbalances in the Water-Energy-Food-Nexus as most river systems in that region, which makes the Zarafshan a perfect model river for Central Asia as a whole. The findings presented here are based on field measurements, existing data from the national hydrometeorological services and an extensive literature analysis and cover the status quo of the meteorological and hydrological characteristics of the Zarafshan as well as the most important water quality parameters (pH, conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, arsenic, chromate, copper, zinc, fluoride, petroleum products, phenols and the aquatic invertebrate fauna). The hydrology of the Zarafshan is characterized by a high natural discharge dynamic in the mountainous upper parts of the catchment and by sizeable anthropogenic water extractions in the lower parts of the catchment, where on average 60.6% of the available water is diverted for irrigation purposes in the Samarkand and Navoi provinces. The water quality is heavily affected by the unsustainable land use and inadequate/missing water purification techniques. The reduced discharge and the return flow of untreated agricultural drainage water lead to a critical pollution of the river in the lower parts of the catchment. Additional sources of pollutants where identified in the upstream (the Anzob ore mining and processing complex) and downstream (the Navoi special economic area) parts of the catchment. The impact of the different water uses on the availability and the quality of the water resources are discussed in detail and outlook for the expected development during the next decades is given. These results form the basis for future investigations and for the conception of an IWRM plan for the Zarafshan River catchment.
The Central Asian countries are in particular affected by the climate change. The cultural and ec... more The Central Asian countries are in particular affected by the climate change. The cultural and economic centers in this mostly arid region rely completely on the water resources of the Pamir, Tien Shan and Alay mountain glaciers. But by 2030 the discharge generated by those glaciers will be 30% less than today while the water demand will be up to 30% higher than today. Already today the unsustainable land and water use causes a water deficit and the impairment of the water quality. In most parts of Central Asia an detailed analysis of the status quo as the basis for the development of an integrated resource management plan is impossible due to fragmented or missing monitoring data. The study presented here provides an detailed overview of the quantity and quality of the water resources of the transboundary Zarafshan River – one of the most important but until now hardly studied rivers in Central Asia. The Zarafshan is characterized by a highly dynamic discharge and is massively impa...
The concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in the airborne particulate matter (PM) from the backgro... more The concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in the airborne particulate matter (PM) from the background areas in Сentral Asia, namely, Abramov Glacier, Sary-Chelek Biospheric Reserve, and Chatkal Biospheric Reserve, were studied by using a high sensitive neutron activation analysis. The annual concentration change in HMs in the PM from Аbramov Glacier was investigated in more detail as an environmental clean area compared to other remote areas. It was found that the concentrations of HMs in the PM from Abramov Glacier varied from 5,960 ng/m3 for Fe to 0.0005 ng/m3 for Au. High concentrations of Au, Cr, Sb, Sc, Fe, Co, and PM were observed in summer season due to the contribution of soil dust from the arid territories. A general increase in the concentrations of Hg, Zn, and Br in the PM of Аbramov Glacier in a cold season specified mainly anthropogenic sources. Data of lognormal trends for the distribution of HMs in the PM of Abramov Glacier showed that a strongly pronounced bimodal distribution was characteristic for Au, Sb, Hg, Na, Co, Zn, and PM. The high concentration of Fe, Na, Sb, and Sm in the fractions containing large particles of PM was related to the contribution of the local lithogenic natural aerosols. The high concentration of Cr, Zn, Sb, Br, Na, Cu, and Au in the fractions containing small particles less than 0.4 µm might be related to the contribution from the thermal power stations, metallurgical enterprises, forest fires, etc. The obtained data are important for an estimation of background level pollution of atmospheric air of the remote regions in Central Asia with heavy metals.
NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security, 2008
Problems of using, monitoring, managing, and protecting water resources of the Aral Sea basin are... more Problems of using, monitoring, managing, and protecting water resources of the Aral Sea basin are pressing because of the extremely limited nature of these resources, increasing pollution levels, and the threat of a shrinking — and gradually disappearing — Aral Sea. Results from the author's long-term research on monitoring and protection of water of the main rivers — the Amu
The geographic area of Central Asia is largely arid and semi-arid and very sensitive to environme... more The geographic area of Central Asia is largely arid and semi-arid and very sensitive to environmental perturbations. Recent changes in social structures and resource management practices, accompanied by regional climate change, have caused substantial environmental concerns. The Aral Sea has shrunk by almost 30% over the past two decades, the flow rate of the two major rivers in the region,
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Papers by Rashid Kulmatov