Page 19 – The Times Of Central Asia

24 Nov 2025

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Kazakhstan Opens World-Class Geological Cluster in Zhezkazgan

November 24, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

Kazakhstan has inaugurated its first integrated geological cluster, positioning the country as a regional hub for cutting-edge mineral exploration. The Kazakhmys Geological Cluster, launched on November 21 in Zhezkazgan, the center of the nation’s geological industry, is the first facility of its kind in both Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

The cluster brings together all major geological exploration processes on a single site, supported by equipment found in only seven comparable centers globally.

The new facility features a training center and a state-of-the-art laboratory complex, enabling rapid geological analysis. It also houses Kazakhstan’s largest core storage facility, which will serve as the national archive of primary geological data.

Kazakhmys Corporation, one of the country’s leading mining companies, invested approximately 11 billion tenge into the project.

“We are launching infrastructure that makes Kazakhstan’s geological sector more precise, faster, and technologically advanced. From primary data storage and laboratory research to digital analysis and professional training, everything is integrated into one platform. This new level will ensure the sustainable development of the country’s mineral resource base,” said Nurakhmet Nuriyev, Chairman of the Board of Kazakhmys Corporation, during the opening ceremony.

The cluster is expected to advance the digitalization of Kazakhstan’s geological industry, enhance research capacity, and elevate the quality of mineral exploration nationwide.

As part of a broader vision, a new higher education institution, Ulytau University, will be established on the cluster grounds. The university will be developed in partnership with the Colorado School of Mines, one of the world’s top mining institutions. It will train specialists in geology, mineral engineering, and related disciplines.

A memorandum on the establishment of Ulytau University was signed between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan and Kazakhmys Corporation. The Colorado School of Mines is expected to open its first international campus at the new university in Zhezkazgan, offering instruction in English and launching four core bachelor’s programs: Mining; Geology and Geological Exploration; Geophysical Engineering; and Petroleum Engineering.

24 Nov 2025

Home, International Affairs

Central Asia’s Road to the Southern Seas: A Search for Stability

December 1, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

India has confirmed that it received a six-month sanctions waiver from the United States for its involvement in developing Iran’s Chabahar port. According to The Times of India, the decision followed intensive diplomacy by New Delhi, which convinced Washington that Chabahar provides India’s only practical overland access to Central Asia that avoids Pakistan.

Through Chabahar, India is building a land-based counterpart to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, creating an alternative axis linking the Indian Ocean with Eurasia while bypassing Islamabad and Beijing. The exemption, valid until April 2026, gives India room to negotiate with Washington.

For Central Asia, the episode reflects a broader challenge: choosing viable routes to the southern seas. Current debates about “Afghan transit” focus largely on the Trans-Afghan Railway and the so-called Kabul corridor connecting northern Afghanistan with Pakistan’s ports. Yet Afghanistan’s transport network is forming along multiple lines. Alongside the eastern route, a western corridor from Herat to Kandahar and Spin Boldak is also developing, offering access both to Pakistan and to Chabahar.

The integration of western Afghanistan’s infrastructure with Iran’s transport network makes this corridor more reliable under today’s political and security conditions. It aligns with projects pursued by Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan and positions Herat as a major hub. It is also close to the North–South Transport Corridor, the Lapis Lazuli and Middle Corridors, and the Caspian and Persian Gulf regions. The planned Mazar-i-Sharif–Herat line fits the logic of the Five Nations Railway Corridor, potentially giving Tajikistan and Uzbekistan access to Chabahar and, if stability improves, to Pakistan’s ports as well.

By contrast, the eastern route will remain constrained by the unstable Afghan–Pakistani border and the volatile relationship between Kabul and Islamabad. Afghanistan’s own priorities also differ from outside assumptions: the Herat–Kandahar–Spin Boldak line primarily serves as an internal transport spine linking the west and south. For Kabul, the route to Gwadar is more a political gesture than a practical goal. Some analysts note that developing the western corridor also helps rebalance the country’s economic geography toward its more diverse western regions.

These dynamics strengthen the western route’s appeal. The Taliban leadership has even urged Afghan businesses to reduce reliance on Pakistani ports, signaling a structural shift in trade orientation.

Both Chabahar and Gwadar face political risks. Pakistan’s transit routes pass through areas affected by insurgency, including Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the broader narcotics routes of the Golden Crescent. The greatest uncertainty remains the fluctuating relationship between Kabul and Islamabad. Gwadar, while technologically superior, is undermined by chronic instability. Chabahar’s capacity is more modest, but its integration with Iran’s road and rail network provides reliability.

The United States adds another layer of complexity. The waiver suggests Washington is balancing its Iran sanctions regime with its strategic partnership with India. The United States is not directly involved in regional infrastructure but retains enough influence to shift the balance between the western and eastern routes. Under certain conditions, Gwadar may appear less problematic for Washington than Chabahar. At the same time, selective sanctions exemptions allow the United States to pressure Iran and maintain leverage over India.

Future waivers will depend more on political moods in Washington than on economic calculations. This dynamic resembles a form of managed competition in which India receives temporary waivers, Pakistan retains the possibility of renewed Western engagement, and Afghanistan and Central Asia gain a degree of flexibility.

Even so, the western route through Iran remains the most realistic and controllable option for Central Asia. The region’s states continue to invest in Afghan infrastructure and maintain dialogue, but will eventually need a unified strategy. A step in this direction came in August, when Central Asian envoys created a permanent platform, the Contact Group on Afghanistan. More important than the mechanism is the signal of greater regional coordination.

According to Nargiza Umarova, a researcher on regional cooperation based in Uzbekistan, Central Asia benefits from having multiple access points to southern ports while avoiding internal competition that could weaken its negotiating position. She argues that a coordinated policy is essential for advancing mutually beneficial transit corridors.

The growing diplomatic capacity of Central Asian countries suggests that the C5 can form a common stance on security and transit, though a formal “C5+” structure with Pakistan and Iran is still missing. Such a mechanism could support systematic coordination on transport, logistics, energy, and Trans-Afghan corridors.

For now, Chabahar stands out as the most viable foundation for Central Asia’s southern orientation. Its development, coupled with deeper regional cooperation, could encourage Pakistan and Afghanistan to adopt more pragmatic approaches and treat transport as a basis for mutual economic benefit. With broader support from global powers, the Afghan transit system, both western and eastern routes, could shift from competition to shared advantage.

24 Nov 2025

Central Asia, Uzbekistan Environment, Environment, Home, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Features, Uzbekistan Home, Tajikistan Features, Tajikistan Home, Tajikistan Environment, Features

Environmental Groups Criticize World Bank’s Decision on Rogun Dam Complaint

November 24, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Environmental advocates have sharply criticized the World Bank’s decision to reject a request for a full investigation into Tajikistan’s Rogun Hydropower Plant, citing concerns over potentially severe environmental and social consequences for communities downstream along the Amu Darya river in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

According to the international coalition Rivers without Boundaries, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors dismissed the complaint despite mounting evidence that the project could exacerbate water scarcity, degrade water quality, damage vulnerable ecosystems, and displace rural populations dependent on agriculture and access to clean water.

The complaint, filed earlier this year on behalf of affected communities, argued that the project’s environmental impact assessments were based on outdated data and non-binding verbal assurances from Tajikistan that the reservoir would not be operated at full capacity.

The World Bank’s Inspection Panel registered the complaint in April 2025 and, after conducting an initial review, including a fact-finding visit to Tajikistan in June, recommended a comprehensive investigation, citing a strong likelihood of harm. However, the Bank’s Board rejected that recommendation, asserting that only citizens of the country receiving Bank financing are eligible to request an investigation. This decision surprised observers, particularly given that the Bank had previously accepted similar complaints from Uzbekistan over the same project in 2010.

Environmental groups argue that the Board’s procedural reasoning allows it to ignore the project’s far-reaching transboundary impacts. Evgeny Simonov, a lead expert at Rivers without Boundaries, stated that the Inspection Panel’s own findings validated the downstream communities’ concerns. He accused the Bank of avoiding accountability by hiding behind technicalities.

Alexander Kolotov, director of the same coalition, said the ruling reveals a contradiction between the Bank’s public commitments to inclusive development and its actual response to cross-border grievances. He warned that dismissing downstream voices undermines the principles of equitable and participatory water governance.

Environmental experts also caution that the refusal to launch an investigation leaves no recourse for affected communities should their fears materialize. Potential long-term impacts include increased soil salinity, reduced agricultural productivity, and the erosion of traditional rural livelihoods.

The Rogun Alert coalition, an alliance of international environmental organizations, announced plans to continue monitoring the situation and to explore alternative mechanisms to protect the environmental rights of the region’s residents.

Previous assessments had warned that filling the Rogun reservoir could reduce water flows to the Amu Darya delta by 25% or more, with potentially devastating effects on ecosystems and the wellbeing of up to 10 million people in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

24 Nov 2025

Central Asia, Home, Kazakhstan Local Politics, Local Politics, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Home

Kazakh Chamber of Entrepreneurs Encourages Businesses to Launch Production Facilities in Prisons

November 24, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan’s National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken” and the Committee of the Penal System (CES) under the Ministry of Internal Affairs have discussed the potential for establishing private production facilities inside the country’s correctional institutions.

The initiative was presented during a meeting organized by Atameken, Kazakhstan’s largest business association, representing 1.4 million members across 203 industry associations. The discussion focused on practical mechanisms for facilitating business engagement with correctional institutions.

“It is important for businesses to understand the real opportunities and economic benefits of working with correctional facilities. The Chamber is prepared to support projects at every stage, offering both advisory and organizational assistance,” said Almat Askar, Managing Director of the Manufacturing Industry Department at Atameken.

According to Askar, Atameken is working with government agencies to develop mechanisms that encourage businesses to create jobs for inmates and set up production facilities within the industrial zones of correctional facilities.

Guldana Sharipova, Head of the Convict Labor Organization Department at the CES, noted that legislative amendments offering incentives for businesses are already in progress. “We are interested in companies not only launching operations within correctional facilities but also in hiring convicts to work outside the colonies,” she said.

According to the World Prison Population List, Kazakhstan ranked 89th out of 222 countries in 2024 in terms of the number of prisoners per 100,000 population. Approximately 35,000 individuals are held in 78 correctional institutions nationwide. Of these, about 23,000 are eligible to work, yet only slightly more than 12,000 are officially employed.

Currently, 280 private enterprises operate within the industrial zones of correctional institutions, employing 5,000 inmates. These facilities manufacture products ranging from workwear and building materials to furniture, souvenirs, and consumer goods.

This initiative comes alongside broader efforts by the Kazakh government to improve the business climate, including a recent reduction in inspections of private enterprises.

24 Nov 2025

Central Asia, Turkmenistan Home, Environment, Home, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Environment

Two Major Reservoirs in Turkmenistan Dry Up Amid Intensifying Drought

November 24, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Turkmenistan’s Balkan region is facing a deepening drought, with two strategically important reservoirs, Mammetköl and Delili, completely drying up by mid-2025. Both reservoirs, fed by the Etrek (Atrek) River, have vanished from satellite imagery, underscoring the severity of the region’s water crisis.

According to meteorological reports, the reservoirs were not replenished during the winter months and rapidly lost their remaining water due to evaporation and filtration. The winter of 2024-2025 was exceptionally dry, and the spring brought no relief. With virtually no inflow from the now-dry Etrek River, the reservoirs were left to evaporate.

Mammetköl, built in 1964, had a total volume of 20.5 million cubic meters and a usable capacity of 17.9 million cubic meters. Delili, commissioned in 1970, had a capacity of 5.32 million cubic meters. Both were vital to irrigating farmland and sustaining livestock pastures in the Balkan region.

This is not the first time Mammetköl has dried up. During the prolonged drought of 2020-2023, the reservoir emptied in October 2021 and remained largely dry for nearly two years, with only brief periods of partial refilling. A rare flood event in August 2023, triggered by heavy rains in the Atrek’s upper reaches, temporarily restored water levels, but the relief was short-lived.

Data from the Etrek weather station show that from January to November 2025, normal precipitation levels were recorded only in February and March. The situation rapidly deteriorated not just in the Etrek basin but across other parts of Turkmenistan as well.

Reservoirs and rivers disconnected from the Amu Darya began to show signs of critical depletion in early 2025. The Murghab and Tedzhen rivers also reached dangerously low levels. By mid-year, many artificial reservoirs fed by the Atrek had dried out entirely. In autumn, the drought expanded into the Amu Darya basin, Turkmenistan’s largest and most vital waterway, further exacerbating the national water crisis.

24 Nov 2025

Central Asia, Home, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy, Kazakhstan Home

Containerization in Kazakhstan: How Simple “Packaging” Could Transform the Economy

November 24, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Containerization is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about topics in Kazakhstan’s logistics sector. Amid surging transit traffic, the question is increasingly raised: why, despite clear potential, is the domestic market still underutilized? What’s holding Kazakhstan back from making containerization a cornerstone of its integration into global trade?

Currently, transport costs account for up to 30% of the final price of goods in Kazakhstan, nearly three times the global average of around 11%. Experts agree that a systemic transition to containerized transport could speed up delivery times, cut logistics costs, and boost the competitiveness of Kazakhstani products. Yet progress remains sluggish.

A Priority Still in Waiting

In September, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev named the development of containerization as a strategic economic priority. Despite this, containers make up only 7% of domestic freight transport, less than half the global average of over 16%.

Meanwhile, transit volumes are surging. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the national rail company, container transit grew by 59% last year to 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The national target is 2 million TEU by 2030. Yet this growth is bypassing the domestic economy: Kazakhstan remains a transit bridge between China and Europe without yet unlocking containerization for its own industries.

Hidden Resources Still Untapped

Research by Russian consulting company Arthur Consulting suggests that Kazakhstan has the potential to containerize 50-55 million tons of domestic cargo, a volume capable of revitalizing the country’s entire logistics ecosystem.

So why hasn’t it happened? The reasons are well known.

First, infrastructure remains underdeveloped. Modern terminals capable of handling high volumes are lacking. Many transport routes lack essential repair facilities and service centers, meaning containers must often be returned without proper maintenance.

Second, there is a chronic shortage of containers and fitting platforms. This forces businesses to opt for cheaper, less efficient alternatives. Third, current tariffs make container transportation less attractive than road transport or covered railcars. Under such conditions, containerization appears more costly than beneficial. And lastly, there is a widespread lack of expertise. Some industrial players still don’t fully understand how to work with containers, optimize logistics, or implement modern transport solutions.

As a result, a significant portion of cargo is still transported the “old-fashioned way”, in covered railcars. This increases costs, extends delivery times, and limits access to multimodal transport routes.

Speaking at the New Silk Way transport and logistics forum, held in Almaty in September, Arthur Consulting partner Boris Poretsky described the sector as being “stifled” by systemic barriers. He emphasized the need for industrial companies to re-evaluate their logistics strategies. While nearly any cargo from bulk materials and liquids to heavy machinery can now be containerized, many exporters and consignees have yet to capitalize on the benefits.

Containers allow for door-to-door delivery without transshipment, reduce loading and unloading times, improve cargo safety, and offer maximum flexibility, whether by sea, rail, road, or even air.

@Dauren Moldakhmetov

A Global Shift

Worldwide, industries are rapidly adopting containerized logistics. The benefits are significant: 10-15% cost savings, reduced handling, greater cargo security, fewer supply chain disruptions, ESG compliance, and more efficient locomotive usage.

With urban growth, agglomeration, and the rise of e-commerce, demand for fast, reliable delivery is increasing. Containers are becoming the global standard.

Experts argue that containerization is no longer just a logistics tool. It is the infrastructural backbone of the modern economy.

Building a New Logistics Culture

Experts agree: Kazakhstan needs solutions from both the top down and the bottom up.

At the state level:

A national containerization strategy;
A reformed tariff policy;
Private investment in logistics infrastructure;
Integration with international transport corridors.

At the industry level:

Terminal and service base modernization;
Expansion of the national container fleet;
Localized production of containers and fitting platforms.

At the business level:

Investment in terminals and warehouses;
Digitization of logistics processes;
Shift to container-based delivery models.

If these steps are implemented in parallel, Kazakhstan could not only boost transit volumes but also establish a domestic containerized logistics economy that benefits shippers, exporters, and consumers alike.

Containerization isn’t just about packaging, it’s about speeding up trade. It makes Kazakhstani goods faster, cheaper, and more competitive in global markets.

In short, any serious discussion about economic modernization in Kazakhstan must include containers. They are a simple yet transformative tool capable of reshaping entire industries.