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Public Health

Kazakhstan and China Launch One Health Research Center in Almaty

Kazakhstan and China have opened a joint research center in Almaty focused on infectious diseases and biosafety. The Center for One Health Research opened on July 27 at the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, known as KazNARU. It was created under Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. During the opening ceremony, four institutions signed a memorandum covering joint research and academic exchanges. The signatories were Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences, KazNARU, Zhejiang University, and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The center will support research into microbiology, veterinary medicine, public health, and infectious diseases. Its work will also cover antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and biological security. The One Health approach recognizes that the health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems is closely connected. It encourages medical, veterinary, agricultural, and environmental specialists to work together on shared health risks. The World Health Organization says more than 60% of emerging infectious diseases reported worldwide originate in wild or domestic animals. Closer monitoring across human, animal, and environmental health systems can help identify outbreaks earlier and improve prevention. WHO develops the approach alongside the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the UN Environment Programme. KazNARU said the new center would provide a platform for joint Kazakhstan-China research projects. It will also support exchanges involving scientists, lecturers, and students. The initiative expands scientific cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in biotechnology and applied research. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, institutions from the two countries have also agreed to develop biological crop-protection products and transfer agricultural technologies.

Rogun Dam

Italy Commits $150 Million to Tajikistans Rogun Hydropower Plant

The World Bank Group and Italy’s state-controlled development bank, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), have signed a co-financing agreement to support construction of Tajikistan’s Rogun Hydropower Plant, CDP and the World Bank’s office in Tajikistan said. The signing ceremony took place at Tajikistan’s Ministry of Finance in Dushanbe. Under the agreement, the Italian Climate Fund will provide $150 million for the project. The funds will be managed by CDP on behalf of Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security. CDP said the financing would support construction work on the right bank of the Rogun Dam. The Rogun Hydropower Plant is being financed by a consortium of 12 international development partners led by the World Bank Group, with CDP among its members. According to the World Bank, the project is expected to strengthen Tajikistan’s energy security while supporting the development of a cleaner energy market across Central Asia. The World Bank has already approved $650 million in grant financing for the project through the International Development Association (IDA). Located on the Vakhsh River, the Rogun Hydropower Plant is the centerpiece of the Vakhsh hydropower cascade. The project originated during the Soviet period, although construction of the current scheme was formally launched in 2017. Once completed, currently scheduled for 2033, the facility is projected to have an installed capacity of 3,780 MW. The World Bank estimates the plant will generate 14,400 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity each year, equivalent to about 60% of Tajikistan’s current electricity production. The bank says the project will help reduce the country’s chronic winter electricity shortages, provide more reliable electricity for around 10 million people, create over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, and enable electricity exports to neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Despite the new financing, the project continues to face criticism from environmental groups. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the World Bank’s Inspection Panel registered a complaint filed by the environmental coalition Rivers Without Boundaries on behalf of downstream communities in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The coalition argued that the project’s environmental and social assessments were outdated and warned that filling the Rogun reservoir could reduce water flows to the Amu Darya delta, accelerate desertification, increase soil salinity, and affect livelihoods downstream. In June 2025, the World Bank’s Inspection Panel recommended a full investigation. However, in November 2025, the Board of Executive Directors declined to authorize one, saying the complaint did not meet the mechanism’s technical eligibility criteria. Environmental groups criticized the decision. The World Bank has maintained that the project complies with its environmental and social safeguard framework, citing updated assessments, public consultations, and ongoing monitoring.

Climate Change

Kyrgyzstan Records 348 Mudflows in Six Months, Highest Total in Decades

Kyrgyzstan recorded 348 mudflows during the first half of 2026, the highest number in 30 to 40 years, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Kyrgyzhydromet. These violent torrents of water, mud, and boulders killed eight people and injured three. Roads, villages, and critical infrastructure are concentrated in narrow mountain valleys. Each new debris flow can therefore threaten lives and isolate entire communities. A Rapidly Escalating Season The damage extends beyond the human toll. Authorities evacuated 236 people from hazardous areas, while mudflows damaged 668 hectares of farmland. Preliminary estimates place economic losses at 399 million soms (approximately $4,560,000). The scale of the crisis became apparent well before mid-summer. By late June, Kyrgyzstan had already recorded more than 240 mudflows. The first-half total of 348 was almost five times the roughly 70 recorded during the same period of 2025. The deadliest incident occurred on the Osh-Alay highway, where a powerful mudflow swept a vehicle from the road, killing six people. The Ministry of Emergency Situations identifies Batken, Jalal-Abad, Osh, and Talas regions as the country’s most vulnerable areas, where mudflows repeatedly destroy roads, bridges, and residential buildings. Why the Risk Is Increasing Officials link the surge to several overlapping factors, including intense local downpours and earlier snow and glacier melt. Settlement expansion into hazardous valleys and a shortage of protective structures have increased exposure. Pasture degradation and forest loss add to the danger. Rising temperatures are also transforming the Tian Shan as glaciers retreat and new high-altitude lakes emerge. Kyrgyzhydromet estimates that the area of Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers has declined by about 16% in recent decades. As glaciers shrink, newly formed alpine lakes become more vulnerable to overflowing or bursting during intense rainfall or rapid snow and ice melt. Such outbursts can generate destructive debris flows. The threat extends beyond mudflows. Officials warn that warming will also increase the risks posed by glacial-lake outbursts, landslides, and rockfalls. Strengthening Defenses Despite the record number of mudflows, the death toll remains significantly lower than in 2024, when such disasters claimed 25 lives. The Ministry of Emergency Situations attributes the improvement to earlier warnings, more effective evacuations, and expanded preventive measures in high-risk areas. Kyrgyzstan is also expanding its use of forecasting technologies. KG Labs, working with international partners, is developing an AI model to forecast glacial lake outburst floods in the Tian Shan. The work draws on a digital catalogue of Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers and is exploring affordable sensors for remote mountain areas with intermittent internet access. The Ministry of Emergency Situations already uses a separate AI-powered system to monitor high-altitude lakes and issue warnings. The Season Is Far From Over The figure of 348 covers only the first six months. In Kyrgyzstan, the period of highest risk typically lasts until autumn, meaning that mountain communities and transport corridors remain vulnerable for several more months. The events of 2026 illustrate how rapidly natural hazards are evolving. Retreating glaciers, the formation of new alpine lakes, and increasingly intense rainfall are changing the country’s risk...

World Bank

World Bank Approves $20 Million Project to Boost Cross-Border Water Cooperation in Central Asia

The World Bank has announced a $20 million grant to strengthen transboundary water cooperation in Central Asia. The project is intended to improve management of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins as climate change, ageing infrastructure, and rising demand increase pressure on shared water resources. The funding, approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, will support the Central Asia Water Efficiency Cooperation Project (CAWEC). It will be implemented by the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS). EC IFAS’s current procurement notice identifies Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as the participating states. According to the World Bank, limited cooperation over shared water and energy resources costs the region more than $4.5 billion a year. The bank says fragmented reservoir operations, weak data sharing, and ageing infrastructure prevent countries from capturing gains that better regional coordination could provide. The project will strengthen regional institutions, modernize water accounting and information systems, and improve data sharing. By 2031, EC IFAS is expected to prepare feasibility studies, technical documents, and environmental assessments for up to six transboundary water infrastructure projects involving at least two countries. The $20 million grant will not finance the construction of those projects. The preparatory work is intended to help governments attract further investment for irrigation modernization, water conservation and storage, and coordinated management of shared rivers. It will also support digital systems and equipment for the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. Up to 100 staff members from regional water organizations will receive training. The World Bank estimates that around 40 million people will benefit directly or indirectly from improved regional water management. The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea was established in 1993 by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to coordinate responses to the environmental and economic consequences of the Aral Sea disaster. The project concerns the Aral Sea basin’s two principal river systems. The Amu Darya is formed by headwaters rising mainly in the Pamirs and Hindu Kush and flows through or along Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The Syr Darya is fed by Tien Shan headwaters and crosses Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. Both rivers historically fed the Aral Sea. The grant arrives amid severe regional water stress. Central Asian governments agreed 2026 allocations from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya in November 2025, but low reservoir levels and reduced inflows continue to threaten irrigation and energy production. Kazakhstan is pursuing a parallel effort to restore the North Aral Sea, the section of the former inland sea fed by the Syr Darya. In a ministry statement, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said an additional 1.2 billion cubic meters of water should be directed to the North Aral by the end of 2026. According to the ministry, 1.4 billion cubic meters have been delivered since October 1, 2025. The North Aral now contains 23.5 billion cubic meters of water, while salinity has fallen by about 10% from a year earlier. Fishermen caught 4,200 metric...

Groundwater Management

Kazakhstan Hydrogeologists Complete Six-Month USGS Groundwater Training

Kazakhstani hydrogeologists have completed a six-month online training program led by experts from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Department of Groundwater at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation organized the seminars for specialists at Kazhydrogeology, the country’s National Hydrogeological Service. Staff from its branches also took part. The training covered current approaches to groundwater monitoring and assessment. Participants also studied groundwater modeling and water resource management, drawing on international practices in hydrogeology. The USGS awarded certificates to 20 participants from Kazhydrogeology and its branches. Employees from the ministry’s Department of Groundwater and the Department of Strategic Development received certificates of appreciation. Bolat Bekniyaz, chairman of Kazhydrogeology’s management board, thanked the USGS for supporting the professional development of Kazakhstani specialists in groundwater research and management. He said the ministry would continue working with international partners through exchanges of professional experience and joint training. The seminars were held under ongoing cooperation between the ministry and the USGS. In May, Kazakhstani specialists attended training in Boise, Idaho, on U.S. groundwater-monitoring systems and modeling methods. They also studied techniques for protecting groundwater sources. Groundwater is important to water security in Central Asia’s arid and semi-arid areas. UNESCO estimates that it accounts for 98% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. The organization says groundwater in Central Asia remains under-researched and under-governed, while cross-border cooperation is limited. Kazakhstan is also developing a national water information system that will integrate data on surface water and groundwater. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, it is intended to support predictive water management.

Extreme Heat

Extreme Heat Buckles Roads and Strains Power Grids Across Central Asia

Extreme heat across Central Asia in mid-July has buckled concrete highways, pushed electricity demand to record levels, and increased pressure on power grids and ambulance services. Kazakhstan reported road deformation and repeated failures in Almaty, Uzbekistan set consumption and generation records, Kyrgyzstan introduced temporary cuts to protect equipment, and residents in Tajikistan reported local disruptions. Temperatures above 40°C are common in parts of the region, but prolonged heat can strain several systems at once. Demand for cooling rises, road surfaces reach damaging temperatures, and health risks increase. The World Bank says much of Central Asia’s infrastructure was built in the mid-20th century and is overdue for renewal. Kazakhstan’s Roads and Power Networks Struggle Almaty recorded daily temperature highs on three consecutive days. The temperature reached 38°C on July 16, 39.2°C on July 17, and 40°C on July 18. The city’s July record remains 43.4°C, set in 1983. The heat also damaged Kazakhstan’s road network. KazAvtoZhol found temperature-related deformation on six highway sections in the Zhambyl, Pavlodar, and Turkestan regions. The national road operator said concrete surfaces can reach 60 to 70°C, and sometimes higher, during extreme weather. The resulting internal stress can deform concrete slabs. More than 50 workers repaired the affected sections, and traffic continued without restrictions. Road crews were monitoring more than 1,600 kilometers of concrete highway. Almaty’s ambulance service received more than 33,600 calls during the first two weeks of July. Medical officials said many involved sudden spikes in blood pressure and cardiovascular conditions, including coronary heart disease and acute heart attacks. Stroke patients were taken to hospital. Officials advised residents to avoid direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., drink sufficient fluids, and seek medical help if their condition deteriorated. The city’s electricity network has faced record electricity demand between July 17 and 20 as residents increased their use of air conditioners and other appliances. The Alatau Zharyk Company said technical failures occurred in several districts, sometimes followed by faults on neighboring sections of the network. Thirty-five repair crews were deployed around the clock. The pressure extended beyond Almaty. Kazakhstan consumed 338.66 million kilowatt-hours of electricity on July 14, while domestic generation totaled 314.27 million kilowatt-hours, according to KOREM electricity data. Consumption also exceeded generation on each of the previous three days. Kazakhstan has historically covered such shortfalls through electricity imports, principally from Russia. Record Electricity Demand in Uzbekistan Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy warned on July 13 that daily electricity consumption could reach a summer record of 280 million kilowatt-hours, with peak demand rising to between 13 and 13.3 gigawatts. Demand subsequently exceeded that forecast. On July 18, consumption reached 294.4 million kilowatt-hours, 8% above the previous summer record. Peak evening demand rose to 13.7 gigawatts. Power plants produced a record 297.1 million kilowatt-hours on the same day. Despite the increase in production, technical faults caused temporary outages in several districts of Tashkent. At different times, the disruptions affected between several hundred and 2,700 consumers, according to the Ministry of Energy. Supplies were later restored....