Water resources of the Central Asia under conditions of climate change

2007 ◽  
pp. 85-92
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia

Adaptation to climate change in the mountain regions of Central Asia: Assessment of the current knowledge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zarina Saidaliyeva ◽  
Veruska Muccione ◽  
Maria Shahgedanova ◽  
Sophie Bigler ◽  
Carolina Adler
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Aral Sea ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
Adaptation Options

<p>The mountains of Central Asia, extending over 7000 m a.s.l. and accommodating diverse and complex natural and managed systems, are very vulnerable to climate change. They support valuable environmental functions and provide key ecosystem goods and services to the arid downstream regions which strongly depend on the melting snowpack and glaciers for the provision of water by the transboundary rivers starting in the mountains. Strong climate change adaptation (CCA) action is required to increase resilience of the vulnerable, low-income communities in the region. Our knowledge of the CCA actions in the mountains of Central Asia is limited in comparison with other mountainous regions. The aim of this study is to assess the existing adaptation projects and publications and to identify gaps in adaptation efforts by conducting a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature published in English language. To be selected, the papers had to comply with the following criteria: (i) publication between 2013 and 2019; (ii) explicit focus on CCA in the mountain ranges of Central Asia; (iii) explanation of adaptation options; (vi) a clear methodology of deriving suitable adaptation options. Following the initial screening and subsequent reading of the publications, complying with the specified criteria, 33 peer-reviewed articles were selected for final analysis. This is considerably lower than the number of publications on the European Alps, Hindu-Kush – Himalayas, and the Andes. The number of publications on Central Asian mountains has declined since 2013.</p><p>The research is heavily focused on the problem of water resources, especially water availability at present and in the future 70 % of the analysed papers addressing these issues. These are followed by the papers considering adaptation in agriculture and in managing biodiversity. A critical finding is the lack of publications on adaptation to hazards and disasters including glacier outburst floods, mudflow, and landslides which are common and comparatively well-researched hazards in the Central Asian mountains, experiencing rapid deglaciation. About 50 % of the papers address the transboundary nature of the impacts of climate changes on water resources and land management reflecting the transboundary nature of the Central Asian catchments and the tensions which exist across the region but are especially prominent in the Aral Sea basin.</p><p>We conclude that while there is ample evidence of climate change and its impacts in the mountains of Central Asia and many publications mention the need for adaptation, a very limited number of publications explicitly focus on CCA and how it can be delivered.</p>

scholarly journals Climate change, water resources and sustainable development in the arid and semi-arid lands of Central Asia in the past 30 years

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yu ◽  
Yuanyue Pi ◽  
Xiang Yu ◽  
Zhijie Ta ◽  
Lingxiao Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Arid Lands ◽  
The Past ◽  
Semi Arid

scholarly journals Hydrological modeling in glacierized catchments of Central Asia: status and challenges

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaning Chen ◽  
Weihong Li ◽  
Gonghuan Fang ◽  
Zhi Li
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Hydrological Modeling ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Hydrologic Processes ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
The Status ◽  
Glacial Discharge ◽  
Incomplete Datasets

Abstract. Glaciers are one of the most important water supplies of glacierized catchments in Central Asia. Therefore, the effects of climate change on glaciers, snow cover and permafrost will have increasingly significant consequences for runoff. Hydrological modeling has become an indispensable research approach to water resources management in large glacierized river basins, but there is a lack of focus in the modeling of glacial discharge. This paper reviews the status of hydrological modeling in glacierized catchments of Central Asia, discussing the limitations of the available models and extrapolating these to future challenges and directions. After reviewing recent efforts, we conclude that the main sources of uncertainty in assessing the regional hydrological impacts of climate change are the unreliable and incomplete datasets and the lack of understanding of the hydrological regimes of glacierized catchments of Central Asia. Runoff trends indicate a complex response of catchments to changes in climate. For future variation of water resources, it is essential to quantify the responses of hydrologic processes to both climate change and shrinking glaciers in glacierized catchments, and scientific focus should be on reducing these uncertainties.

Ecological, Political, and Social Impacts of Climate Change in the Large Water Basins of Central Asia

2022 ◽  
pp. 63-75
Author(s):  
Ahmet Altın ◽  
Süreyya Altın
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Large Lake ◽  
North West ◽  
Large Water ◽  
Lake Basins

Central Asia is a term that defines a very large region including Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, North-West China, and Mongolia, known as the Land of Turks. The water needs of the population within the borders of Central Asia are met by more than 6000 lakes of various sizes and rivers pouring into these lakes. Climate change, which has been heavily felt in the region in the last 50 years, negatively affects water resources and human life in large lake basins. In this study, how the water resources in the large lake basins in Central Asia, especially in the Aral and Balkhash basins, are affected by climate change and how the climate change scenarios will develop were investigated. In addition, conflicts caused by the use and sharing of water between the countries have been identified, and the effects of these conflicts on social life, especially migration, have been discussed.

scholarly journals Review article: Hydrological modeling in glacierized catchments of central Asia – status and challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 669-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaning Chen ◽  
Weihong Li ◽  
Gonghuan Fang ◽  
Zhi Li
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Hydrological Modeling ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Hydrologic Processes ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
The Status ◽  
Glacial Discharge

Abstract. Meltwater from glacierized catchments is one of the most important water supplies in central Asia. Therefore, the effects of climate change on glaciers and snow cover will have increasingly significant consequences for runoff. Hydrological modeling has become an indispensable research approach to water resources management in large glacierized river basins, but there is a lack of focus in the modeling of glacial discharge. This paper reviews the status of hydrological modeling in glacierized catchments of central Asia, discussing the limitations of the available models and extrapolating these to future challenges and directions. After reviewing recent efforts, we conclude that the main sources of uncertainty in assessing the regional hydrological impacts of climate change are the unreliable and incomplete data sets and the lack of understanding of the hydrological regimes of glacierized catchments of central Asia. Runoff trends indicate a complex response to changes in climate. For future variation of water resources, it is essential to quantify the responses of hydrologic processes to both climate change and shrinking glaciers in glacierized catchments, and scientific focus should be on reducing uncertainties linked to these processes.

The Impact of Climate Change on the Water Resources of the Amu Darya Basin in Central Asia

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (15) ◽  
pp. 5267-5281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. White ◽  
Trevor W. Tanton ◽  
David W. Rycroft
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
Amu Darya ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Foreign Policy Tools for Water Management in Central Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-368
Author(s):  
A. M. Akmatalieva
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Management ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Policy Tools ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Growing Population

This article is devoted to the issue of ineffective and irrational water management in Central Asia. Water management has gained transboundary character, states are divided by their upstream and downstream status and water is perceived as unlimited natural resource which requires new approaches. Author proposes foreign policy tools for water management as constant political dialogue, establishment of permanent body on water management and initiation of projects within China’s Belt and Road imitative, US’s Greater Central Asia and Russia’s Greater Eurasia platform. The vital importance of water as natural resource for life and human development is unquestionable and needs special attention in the context of the climate change and growing population of the Central Asian region. Asian Development Bank has provided three recommendations to Central Asian governments in facing climate change as expanding the supply of water available in the future; increasing the productivity of water; and reducing future demand for water. With predictions of the UN Population Prospects by 2050 Central Asia will have about 100 million inhabitants which undoubtedly will also increase the need for water resources. Taking into acount such factors as climate change and growing population the need for water resources will become only vital in the neearest future and demand for effective and rational water management must be already on the regional agenda.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document