Floods - The Times Of Central Asia

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China Flood Forecasting Water Security Floods International Cooperation Government

Kazakhstan to Cooperate with China and Russia in Combating Floods

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation will sign a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources of China to combat future spring floods together. The Kazakh ministry has also agreed with Russia to create a joint working group to coordinate actions during spring flood periods. Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, announced this at a government meeting on September 24. The conference addressed eliminating the consequences of unprecedented spring floods in the country’s northern and western regions and preparing for future spring floods. Massive floods in the spring of 2024, caused by the rapid snow-melt, destroyed thousands of homes and forced almost 100,000 people to evacuate from flood zones. Much of the spring flood water comes to Kazakhstan via trans-boundary rivers flowing from Russia and China. "To ensure the collection and safe passage of flood water in the future, the ministry plans to build 42 new reservoirs with a total capacity of 2.6 billion cubic meters, as well as to reconstruct 37 reservoirs with a total capacity of 3.7 billion cubic meters and about 14,500 km of irrigation canals. This year, the construction of two reservoirs in the Turkestan region and the reconstruction of three reservoirs in the Aktobe, Turkestan, and West Kazakhstan regions began," Nurzhigitov stated, adding that the spring floods led not only to negative consequences, but also allowed reservoirs to collect more than twelve billion cubic meters of water used for economic needs. As of the beginning of September 2024, 8.4 billion cubic meters of that water were used for agricultural purposes. Nurzhigitov reported that the reservoirs of Kazakhstan's northern, central, eastern, and western regions are now 80% full and added that the spring floods have also helped improve the environmental situation by directing excess water to places where it had not flowed for a long time. For example, 80 million cubic meters of flood waters were directed to the Kamysh-Samar lakes of the West Kazakhstan region. For the first time in decades, water arrived in the lakes of the Kyzylorda region through the Sarysu River. Since the beginning of the year, twelve billion cubic meters of water have been sent to Lake Balkhash, and 7.4 billion cubic meters to the Caspian Sea. Nurzhigitov also stated that, together with the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry, work is underway to create an information system for forecasting and modeling floods, which will be launched before the end of the year. "This information system will allow for flood forecasting to make strategic decisions. It will show potential flood risk zones on the map," Nurzhigitov explained. At the same meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev reported that the 2024 spring floods had affected more than 120,000 people across 12 regions. Bozumbayev emphasized that new housing for families affected by the flood was constructed in an unprecedentedly short space of time. In under four months, 2,576 new houses were built, and 5,767 houses and apartments were purchased on the secondary market. In addition,...

Emergency Floods Climate Emergency Issyk-Kul Climate Change

Villages Evacuated After Lake Bursts in Kyrgyzstan

On August 21, 2024, a mountain lake, Zyndan, burst in the Ton district of the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan. This caused a sharp rise in the water level in the Ton River and led to flooding of nearby settlements, including Tuura-Suu village and a section of the Tuura-Suu - Temir-Kanat highway. A state of emergency was declared due to the threat of flooding. More than 400 residents of Tuura-Suu village were evacuated and temporarily accommodated in schools in the neighboring towns of Eshperov and Ak-Sai. Using special equipment, rescuers and local authorities channeled Lake Zyndan's waters into the Ton River bed to prevent further destruction. Ministry of Emergency Situations officials, police, and local government officials are continuing to monitor the situation around the clock. Two excavators and three loaders, as well as other necessary equipment to repair the consequences of the breach, are involved in the operation. The breach was caused by intense precipitation and glacial melt, which increased pressure on the lake and led to its erosion. This event attracted the attention of local authorities and international organizations concerned about climate change and its impact on the region. Yesterday, TCA reported on a meeting between the heads of the national emergency departments of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan which was held last week in Cholpon-Ata, Issyk-Kul, which was aimed at broadening cooperation. Following this meeting, powerful mudslides caused by heavy rain struck the region once again, flooding the streets of Cholpon-Ata.

Avalanches Regional Cooperation Natural Disaster Threat Floods Droughts Mudslides

Countries of Central Asia Team up as Threat of Natural Disasters Grows

Central Asia is vulnerable to a panoply of natural hazards: Floods, landslides, droughts, sandstorms, avalanches and earthquakes. Countries in the region increasingly seek to collaborate on early warning systems and other emergency precautions, especially since disasters can spill across borders and because the effects of climate change are intensifying. To that end, the heads of the national emergency departments of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan met last week in Cholpon-Ata, a lakeside resort town in northern Kyrgyzstan whose attractions include ancient petroglyphs showing deer, leopards and hunting scenes. Turkmenistan´s flag – green expanse, red stripe with designs and white crescent and stars - was on display in the conference hall, though official announcements did not mention the presence of any delegation from the reclusive Turkmen government. The goal was to share information and experience, and deepen cooperation among the emergency agencies of those Central Asian countries, said Maj. Gen. Boobek Azhikeev, Kyrgyzstan’s minister of emergency situations. The five nations, which have a total of approximately 75 million people and encompass four million square kilometers, face growing risks from natural disasters, and the region has been warming faster than the global average according to a report released in May by the U.N. agency for the coordination of disaster risk reduction and the U.N. Development Programme. The two U.N. bodies, which helped to support the Central Asia meeting on the shores of Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kul on Aug. 15, also mentioned human-made hazards, such as industrial accidents, chemical waste facilities in densely populated areas, and severe air pollution in major cities in all the countries. “Many disaster risk management systems are still reactive, not proactive. Early warning processes are often fragmented, and poorly integrated into countries' development strategies and policies for risk-informed decision-making,” the U.N. agencies said. “There is a lack of anticipation of new and emerging risks, insufficient monitoring and forecasting, and limited financial and technological support. Early warning communication and dissemination are often unclear, especially for the most vulnerable.” The private sector and media can also get more involved in ways of reducing the risk from disasters, they said. The U.N. agencies also noted progress, saying Tajikistan had taken the lead in Central Asia in rolling out an early warning system focused on monitoring, forecasting, communication and other measures. Earlier this month TCA reported that the head of Tajikistan’s committee for emergency situations and civil defense, Rustam Nazarzada, stated that the economic damage caused by natural disasters in the country has amounted to over $12 million in this year alone. Additionally, Uzbekistan is updating an early warning system in the populous, economically important Ferghana valley that will promptly disseminate weather forecasts. Central Asian countries have sought to coordinate on environmental issues in the past, sometimes with mixed results. But the sense of urgency is growing. Earlier this year, Kyrgyzstan was among countries that sent aid to Kazakhstan after floods there that the Kazakh president described as the worst natural disaster in 80 years. Kazakhstan, in turn, sent tons of humanitarian aid to Kyrgyzstan after...

Healthcare Social Climate Emergency Floods Emergency

More Mudflows Flood Homes in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Region

Powerful mudslides caused by heavy rains are again causing damage in Kyrgyzstan's northern Issyk-Kul region. A state of emergency has been declared in three districts. The mudflows descended in several locations in the south and north of the Issyk-Kul region, flooding highways and mountain passes. In the town of Cholpon-Ata, water from the canal has reportedly flooded the streets. Several resorts and vacation homes have also been flooded, and there are power outages in the region. Eyewitnesses have reported that Lake Issyk-Kul has turned green. It is known that dozens of people have been evacuated from the flooded areas. Seven hundred fifty-five rescuers and military personnel are clearing up the damage, but heavy rains are still forecast for the coming days. Other parts of Kyrgyzstan, such as Naryn and Jalal-Abad in the center of the country, are also susceptible to mudflows. “We urge citizens to be vigilant and observe precautionary measures,” rescuers have appealed to citizens.

Floods Social Security

Kazakhstan Developing Digital System of Flood Forecasting and Modeling

An information system for forecasting and modeling floods in Kazakhstan was discussed with representatives at a Cabinet of Ministers meeting, as reported on the official website of the Government of Kazakhstan. The information system includes four modules: data collection, analysis, forecasting, and modeling. It will use both operational and long-term data from Kazakhstan Ғarysh Sapary, Kazgidromet, and the National Center of Geodesy and Spatial Information. The system will be integrated with the Ministry of Emergency Situations' database on floods, mud-flows, landslides, avalanche-prone areas, and hydraulic structures. The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry suggested utilizing the European program for remote Earth sensing in its operations. Deputy Prime Minister, Kanata Bozumbayev directed the ministry to also consider domestic digital solutions. Additionally, to develop a comprehensive data set, it is necessary to increase the number of hydrological and meteorological stations, perform bathymetric surveys of water bodies and rivers, and create a "digital relief" map of areas in the country that frequently experience flooding. In the spring of 2024, Kazakhstan experienced its largest flooding in 80 years. Ten regions of the country declared a state of emergency, and thousands of houses and buildings were flooded. Thousands of people were evacuated from flooded areas and are still in the process of recovering from the damage.

Floods Climate Change

Turkmenistan Bans People From Talking About the Weather

For almost ten days Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat has been flooded with rain, in what local meteorologists think have been the worst downpours since the 1970s. The rain has caused significant damage to the city's infrastructure. The Akhal province has also been badly affected, with agricultural land flooded. Mudflows hit the cities of Anev and Kahka, and in many areas electricity and part of the rail network were shut down. However, there have been no reports in Turkmen media about the rains and the damage they are causing. Turkmenistan's law enforcement agencies have taken unprecedented measures to prevent photos and videos of the downpours from appearing on social networks. According to Radio Azatlyk, internet speed has slowed down, working VPNs are blocked, and IMO messenger has almost stopped working. A Turkmenabad police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said of the order from above: "We have been ordered to prevent the leakage of defamatory photos and videos abroad. It was explained to us that if defamatory information gets into the hands of the West or the U.S. State Department, this information can be used to destabilize the domestic situation." The situation is the same in Ashgabat. Security services are identifying and taking to police stations citizens who have shared photos and videos on social media of the rains, and the damage caused by the rains in Ashgabat and the provinces. "In Ashgabat, cars could not move along the streets, people were swept away by the water pressure, and some of them were badly hurt. In the suburbs, houses and farms were flooded, farmers may be left without any income. There are many casualties, but there are no fatalities among the residents. Now the situation is gradually normalizing, and the authorities are eliminating the consequences of the flooding," one Ashgabat resident told The Times of Central Asia.