Ecology - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 20

Water Security Afghanistan Economy Ecology Environmental Awareness Oil and Gas Oil

Afghanistan to Boost Oil Production in the Amu Darya Basin

Afghanistan plans to launch 25 new oil wells in the Amu Darya basin, increasing daily oil production to 3,000 tons. Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, shared that there are currently 24 active wells in this field, from which 1,300 tons of oil are extracted daily. According to Fitrat: "The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum plans to activate 25 more wells by the end of this year, of which 18 will be newly drilled, two will be exploratory wells, and five will be rehabilitated.” Economic experts stress that officials should carefully plan new well drilling and attract investors to process the extracted oil. Economic expert Abdul Zahoor Madaber stated that Afghanistan has abundant natural resources but lacks modern machinery to process them, and cooperation with other countries is needed to import this equipment. Mohammad Asif Stanekzai, another economic expert, added: “The production and processing of natural resources can create job opportunities and have a positive impact on reducing inflation in Afghanistan.” According to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, only 10% of Afghanistan’s oil needs are currently met from domestic production. The Amu Darya is a vital river for Central Asian countries. While 72-73% of its water originates in Tajikistan, the majority is used by neighboring countries. In April of this year, the countries of Central Asia distributed Amu Darya and Syrdarya water for the summer of 2024. Under the agreed quota, the draw on water from the Amu Darya watershed will be 56 billion cubic meters for the year, with about 40 billion cubic meters used in the April-to-October growing season. As stated in the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) agreement, Uzbekistan will receive 16 billion cubic meters, Turkmenistan will receive 15.5 billion cubic meters, and Tajikistan will receive 6.9 billion cubic meters. The ICWC claims that the total number of irrigated lands in Central Asian countries is 4.3 million hectares in Uzbekistan, 2.5 million hectares in Kazakhstan, 1.9 million hectares in Turkmenistan, 1 million hectares in Kyrgyzstan, and 680,000 hectares in Tajikistan.

Construction Infrastructure Development Ecology WHO

Kyrgyz Government Adopts Strategic Task to Construct Eco-City

On October 14, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov signed a Decree to construct the eco-city "Asman" near the village of Toru-Aigyr on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, the country's main region for tourism and recreation. Spanning 4,000 hectares, some 200km southeast of the capital Bishkek and dubbed a "smart city", Asman aims to become the country’s new economic and tourist hub and home to modern business, recreational and sports facilities, hi-tech parks, and financial institutions. It will also provide homes for around 500,000 residents. From a bird's eye view, Asman (the Kyrgyz word for "sky") will resemble a komuz, a traditional Kyrgyz string musical instrument and one of Kyrgyzstan's national symbols. According to Kyrgyz officials, the new city financed by foreign investors, will be built over the next 7-10 years but although the capsule-laying ceremony took place in June 2023, construction has yet to begin. Speaking at the ceremony, President Japarov remarked that “the city of Asman will become a financial hub connecting East and West, North and South.” As reported by the presidential press service, the construction of the eco-city is a “strategic task” for the country’s Cabinet of Ministers and local authorities of the Issyk-Kul region, with a key objective to protect the biosphere territory adjacent to the lake. According to the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers should develop and approve a concept for the construction of Asman by March 1, 2025, ensuring the preservation and protection of the environment during the city’s construction. It has also been recommended that a ban be placed in the city on hydrocarbon-fueled (gasoline, diesel, gas) transport in preference for electric transport and bicycles. For this purpose, the decree orders the creation of electric transport infrastructure and charging stations, as well as necessary conditions for the use of bicycles to ensure mobility of the city's population. In addition, the decree orders the use of energy-saving solutions and smart home technologies in the construction of buildings, and compliance with the World Health Organization's environmental standards for greening cities and introducing an environmentally safe waste management system. The realization of such a mega project has inevitably raised questions regarding finance, with construction costs currently estimated at around $20 billion. The Asman project shares similarities to the city of Arkadag in Turkmenistan. Unveiled in June 2023, the “smart” city of Arkadag was built from scratch 30 km south of Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat. Designed to accommodate a population of 70,000, it cost billions of dollars to construct.

Environment National Parks Environmental Awareness Ecology Nature Reserve

Tajikistan Strives to Protect its Natural Environment Against Climate Change

Climate change is having an increasing impact on Tajikistan's flora and fauna and climatologists predict further drying up of regions, jeopardizing the country's biodiversity. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), over 860 species have disappeared worldwide since 1500, and some 17,300 species are currently under threat. To mitigate the effects of climate change in their country, Tajik scientists have urged that measures be taken to preserve rare species of plants and animals. Speaking on the issue, Khikmat Khisoriev, a doctor of biological sciences and an academician at the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, stated that climate has changed cyclically throughout history, with alternating periods of cooling and warming . In recent decades, however, the significant increase in the rate of warming has a powerful impact on plant life. Rapid changes in environmental conditions do not allow plants time to adapt, leading to the extinction of vulnerable species such as the anzur onion, the Vavilov almond, and other endemic plants of Tajikistan. The loss of rare species of economic importance is a particular concern. For example, the endemic plant Ferula Tajiki, widely used in medicine, is on the verge of extinction due to intensive harvesting. Such processes lead to a decrease in the country's biodiversity, and ecosystems are becoming less resistant to external changes. Climatic change is also affecting wildlife. According to Abdusattor Saidov, zoologist and corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, changes in humidity in Tajikistan's mountains can significantly impact the composition of vegetation, and in turn, forage for wildlife. Forced to migrate in search of food, Tajikistan's populations of species such as the Marco Polo sheep, Siberian ibex, and snow leopard, could potentially diminish. The situation is also aggravated by anthropogenic factors including excessive collection of plants, poaching, and economic activities, which are especially dangerous for species with restricted habitats. Among such species is the Apollo Autocrator butterfly which living in the Pamirs, is unable adapt to change as quickly as other organisms. To combat these challenges, the Government of Tajikistan has developed the “National Program of the Republic of Tajikistan ‘Green Country’ for 2023-2027" to address climate change, restore ecosystems, and develop a green economy. The program aims to plant 65 million trees by the end of 2025, creating protected areas, and introducing modern technologies for sustainable management of natural resources. Biodiversity conservation also includes expanding the network of protected areas. Tajikistan already has reserves and national parks covering 22% of the country's territory, in which 70% of flora and fauna species are preserved. Much more, however, needs to be done to fully compensate for climate change and anthropogenic impact losses. In addition to more effective measures to protect rare species, such as introducing quotas for plant collection and controlling economic activities in habitats, other necessary measures include developing zero-waste technologies, and public education programs to raise awareness of the importance of nature conservation. Experts believe that sustainable development is only possible with the active participation of all sectors...

WHO Air Pollution Ecology Environmental Awareness World Bank Finance

New Report From World Bank Condemns Tashkent Air Quality

A new World Bank report entitled "Air Quality Assessment for Tashkent and the Roadmap for Air Quality Management Improvement in Uzbekistan" gives a frightening assessment of the air quality in the country’s capital. The report finds that ambient PM2.5 concentrations in Tashkent, which peak in winter, substantially exceed international air quality standards. The annual average concentration exceeds six times the WHO’s average yearly guideline of 5 µg/m3. In Tashkent, PM2.5 ambient air pollution has considerable health and economic costs. It can be linked to health costs equivalent to 0.7% of Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product (GDP). Most air quality-related diseases and premature deaths in Uzbekistan and worldwide are linked to PM2.5, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as the pollutant with the gravest health risk. According to IQAir, Tashkent, like other Central Asian cities, frequently ranks among the world's most polluted urban areas. According to the report, the primary sources of human-caused PM2.5 pollution in Tashkent are the heating (28%), transport (16%), and industrial sectors (13%). Cross-boundary sources like windblown dust (36% PM2.5 pollution) dominate in the summer, while commercial and residential heating is the primary source of PM2.5 pollution in the winter. The report’s AQM roadmap for Uzbekistan formulates priority actions such as updating air quality standards and legislation, developing a national AQM strategy and coordination mechanism, and taking measures in the industrial, transport, and heating sectors, which are most responsible for air pollution. The AQM roadmap recommends investments in emission reduction measures. The roadmap suggests that emissions from the heating sector can be reduced by improving the quality of fuels used and the efficiency of heating appliances, implementing energy efficiency measures, and switching to cleaner heating alternatives. At a government meeting on October 9, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a draft master plan for the city of Tashkent until 2045. Today the population of Tashkent is more than 3 million people, and it keeps growing. Over the past ten years, the average air temperature in Tashkent has increased by 1 degree Celsius. The number of cars is rising, and traffic is becoming increasingly congested. The new master plan takes these aspects into account. It plans to increase green areas in Tashkent and its suburbs threefold to 25,000 hectares, which will increase per capita green area from the current 3 to 6 square meters. Mirziyoyev emphasized the need to turn Tashkent into a city where at least 7.5 million people can live and work.

Aral Sea Ecology Water Management Water Conservation Water Security Water resources

Water Supply Plan to the Aral Sea is Almost 100% Complete

This year, the Aral Sea received 977 million cubic meters of water, which allowed it to fulfill the water supply plan by almost 100% during the irrigation period. This is the first time in the last five years it has got close to 100%. Deputy Head of Aral-Syrdarya Basin Inspection Zeinollah Kaztoganov noted that this year, the volume of water flowing into the Northern Aral increased to 60-70 cubic meters per second, ten times more than in previous years when the figure was 7-10 cubic meters per second. Now, the total volume of water in the Northern Aral is about 22 billion cubic meters. Additionally, more than 45 million cubic meters of water were directed to Akshatau, Sorgak, and Kamystybas lakes, which positively impacted fishing and tourism: water salinity decreased, and fish populations increased. If the catches of local fishermen earlier were only 400 tons a year, this year they reached over 7,500 tons. Kuntugan Turganbayev, a 76-year-old fisherman from the village of Karateren who has been fishing all his life, said that with the inflow of water into the Aral Sea, there is a prospect for the development of fisheries. He noted that this year, there are more fish than last year, and if the current water level in the Aral Sea is maintained, the fishery will continue to grow. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the World Bank are developing the second phase of a program to conserve the Northern Aral Sea. This program is aimed at improving water supply, construction, and modernization of water infrastructure. The main objective is to support sustainable water use, which includes the development of agriculture, tourism, and fisheries in the region. The project also provides for the establishment of an automated water management system, which will help control water flows effectively and ensure stable water levels in the Northern Aral Sea.

Ecology Public health Tree planting Funding green projects Government Environment

Kazakhstan Set to Plant Two Billion Trees

The government's press service reported that about 970 million saplings have been planted across Kazakhstan since 2021, and the country plans to plant over a billion more by the end of 2027. Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev said this at the October 8 government meeting on measures to expand the area under forests in Kazakhstan. Over the past five years, the area under forests in Kazakhstan has increased by 267,000 hectares. At the meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said: "The head of state has set the task of planting two billion trees, which will increase the forest area in the country to 14.5 million hectares. The expansion of forests and parks and the preservation of biodiversity for future generations are some of the priorities for improving the environmental situation. This is a very complex and long-term work. We need to make every effort to increase the area under forests and preserve the existing forests." The meeting focused on measures to protect forests from fires and illegal logging. Large wildfires in the past years have shown the forestry services' unpreparedness to counteract them. In this regard, the government is working to equip them with firefighting machinery and equipment. This year, 52 billion tenge ($106 million) has been allocated to purchase 1,384 pieces of firefighting equipment. Today, the early detection system of forest fires covers more than 900,000 hectares of forests. Its effectiveness has been proved by the example of the Burabay (Borovoye) National Park, where the average area of forest fires has been reduced 50-fold. According to Nysanbayev, another important issue is planting forests on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea. Over the past 30 years, trees and shrubs have been planted on more than 600,000 hectares of the former Aral Sea bed, including 413,000 hectares over the past four years.