DOCSLIB.ORG

Evaluating Vulnerability of Central Asian Water Resources Under Uncertain Climate and Development Conditions: the Case of the Ili-Balkhash Basin

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Evaluating Vulnerability of Central Asian Water Resources Under Uncertain Climate and Development Conditions: the Case of the Ili-Balkhash Basin water Article Evaluating Vulnerability of Central Asian Water Resources under Uncertain Climate and Development Conditions: The Case of the Ili-Balkhash Basin Tesse de Boer 1,*, Homero Paltan 1,2, Troy Sternberg 1 and Kevin Wheeler 3 1 School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; [email protected] (H.P.); [email protected] (T.S.) 2 Institute of Geography, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador 3 Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The Ili-Balkhash basin (IBB) is considered a key region for agricultural development and international transport as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The IBB is exemplary for the combined challenge of climate change and shifts in water supply and demand in transboundary Central Asian closed basins. To quantify future vulnerability of the IBB to these changes, we employ a scenario-neutral bottom-up approach with a coupled hydrological-water resource modelling set-up on the RiverWare modelling platform. This study focuses on reliability of environmental flows under historical hydro-climatic variability, future hydro-climatic change and upstream water demand development. The results suggest that the IBB is historically vulnerable to environmental shortages, and any increase in water consumption will increase frequency and intensity of shortages. Increases in precipitation and temperature improve reliability of flows downstream, along with water demand Citation: de Boer, T.; Paltan, H.; reductions upstream and downstream. Of the demand scenarios assessed, extensive water saving is Sternberg, T.; Wheeler, K. Evaluating most robust to climate change. However, the results emphasize the competition for water resources Vulnerability of Central Asian Water among up- and downstream users and between sectors in the lower Ili, underlining the importance Resources under Uncertain Climate of transboundary water management to mitigate cross-border impacts. The modelling tool and and Development Conditions: The outcomes may aid decision-making under the uncertain future in the basin. Case of the Ili-Balkhash Basin. Water 2021, 13, 615. https://doi.org/ Keywords: climate change; belt and road initiative; water resources; central Asia 10.3390/w13050615 Academic Editor: Steven G. Pueppke Received: 29 January 2021 1. Introduction Accepted: 21 February 2021 Transboundary closed or endorheic river and lake systems are among the most vulner- Published: 26 February 2021 able to changes in demand and supply, exemplified by the drastic reduction in surface area and volume of the Aral Sea, Lake Urmia and Lake Chad in the last decades [1]. The closed Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral basins of Central Asia are particularly vulnerable; climate change threatens water supply with regard to jurisdictional claims in from glacier systems and increases evaporative losses, while demand is rising [2,3]. Uncer- published maps and institutional affil- tain climate projections, human decision making and natural variability of hydrological iations. systems complicate risk management [4]. The endorheic transboundary Ili-Balkhash Basin (IBB) illustrates these challenges. The Ili River supplies 70–80% of annual inflows to Lake Balkhash, currently the largest endorheic freshwater lake (average volume 106 billion cubic metres (BCM) in Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Central Asia since the desiccation of the Aral Sea [5–7]. The Ili River is the longest river Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. shared between China (Xinjiang Province) and South East Kazakhstan (see Figure1), This article is an open access article taking water from the Tian Shan mountains in Xinjiang to the Kazakh steppe. In the dry distributed under the terms and continental Central Asian region, the Ili is an important source of water for the growing conditions of the Creative Commons cities, irrigated agriculture, energy industries and the RAMSAR protected wetlands in the Ili Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// Delta [8–11]. The reliability of Ili River flows to downstream Kazakhstan and conservation creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ of Lake Balkhash, are the focal points of Sino-Kazakh hydro politics; thus far, parties have 4.0/). Water 2021, 13, 615. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13050615 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/water Water 2021, 13, 615 2 of 23 Water 2021, 13, 615 2 of 22 Lake Balkhash, are the focal points of Sino-Kazakh hydro politics; thus far, parties have notnot establishedestablished a volumetric volumetric water water allocation allocation agreement agreement [12,13]. [12,13 ].Recent Recent political political and and cli- climaticmatic changes changes fuel fuel concerns concerns over over the the future future of of Lake Lake Balkhash, as competition forfor waterwater resourcesresources betweenbetween countriescountries andand sectorssectors appearsappears toto bebe increasingincreasing [ 6[6,14,15].,14,15]. FigureFigure 1.1. MapMap ofof thethe Ili-BalkhashIli-Balkhash Basin.Basin. AtAt thethe crossroadscrossroads between between West West China China and and Central Central Asia, Asia, the the IBB IBB has has a long a long history history of tradeof trade and and (irrigated) (irrigated) agriculture agriculture [16 ].[16]. However, However, recently recently socio-economic socio-economic development development in thein the basin basin has has accelerated, accelerated, in turnin turn increasing increasing uncertainty uncertainty about about its future.its future. The The region region is re- is ceivingreceiving extensive extensive (foreign) (foreign) investment investment for infrastructure,for infrastructure, food food production production and hydropower and hydro- developmentpower development through through the Silk the Road Silk Economic Road Economic Belt (SREB), Belt (SREB), part of part the Beltof the and Belt Road and InitiativeRoad Initiative (BRI) championed (BRI) championed by China by since China 2013 since and 2013 earlier and through earlier thethrough western the develop- western mentdevelopment policies [policies17,18]. The[17,18]. $1 trillion The $1 BRI, trillion pitched BRI, aspitched a ‘win-win’ as a ‘win-win’ programme, programme, has become has contentiousbecome contentious in Central in Asia. Central Whilst Asia. embraced Whilst embraced by governments, by governments, public sentiment public sentiment perceives agriculturalperceives agricultural investments investments as land grabs. as land Though grabs. research Though shows research BRI shows investment BRI investment does not affectdoes not food affect security food in security Kazakhstan in Kazakhstan [19], widespread [19], widespread sinophobia sinophobia turns communities turns communi- against theties initiativeagainst the [20 initiative]. Here agriculture [20]. Here inagricult the aridure north-westin the arid ofnorth-west China is undergoingof China is under- rapid modernisationgoing rapid modernisation and organisational and organisational changes under changes the BRI under agenda the [18 BRI,21, 22agenda]. Between [18,21,22]. 2000 andBetween 2015, 2000 cropland and 2015, under cropland irrigation under increased irriga bytion 17% increased in the Chinese by 17% upstream in the Chinese section up- of thestream basin, section accompanied of the basin, by a markedaccompanied increase by in a water marked consumption increase in [7 water,23]. Estimates consumption sug- gest[7,23]. that Estimates agriculture suggest consumes that agriculture 90% of water consumes in the basin,90% of yet water the estimatesin the basin, of theyet extentthe es- of agricultural land use in the Chinese Ili basin are limited and vary significantly due timates of the extent of agricultural land use in the Chinese Ili basin are limited and vary to access restrictions and data limitations [7,23–25]. Therefore, discussions over planned significantly due to access restrictions and data limitations [7,23–25]. Therefore, discus- (agricultural) development for the next decades remain speculative, impeding water man- sions over planned (agricultural) development for the next decades remain speculative, agement decision-making. impeding water management decision-making. The IBB is also a climate-sensitive region. Although there are no studies on potential The IBB is also a climate-sensitive region. Although there are no studies on potential implications of global climate change for water management in the Ili basin, regional implications of global climate change for water management in the Ili basin, regional as- assessments offer some insight. Overall, climate projections from Global Circulation Mod- sessments offer some insight. Overall, climate projections from Global Circulation Models els (GCMs) predict at least 1 °C of warming by 2060 relative to 1986–2005, particularly (GCMs) predict at least 1 ℃ of warming by 2060 relative to 1986–2005, particularly in in winter [26]. Warming is already affecting the basins hydrology, with glacial melt ac- winter [26]. Warming is already affecting the basins hydrology, with glacial melt acceler- celerating and shifts to earlier meltwater peaks [27]. For precipitation, projections are lessating in and agreement shifts to and earlier GCM, meltwater IPCC regional peaks [27]. assessments, For precipitation, and studies projections in adjacent are basinsless in suggestagreement rainfall and GCM, may decrease, IPCC regional remain assessments stable or even, and slightly
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Genre Topoi of the Mass Literature in the Amur Writers Works at the Turn of XX-XXI Centuries
    Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 5 (2017 10) 685-700 ~ ~ ~ УДК 82-1/-9 The Genre Topoi of the Mass Literature in the Amur Writers Works at the Turn of XX-XXI Centuries Natalia V. Kireeva* Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University 104 Lenina Str., Blagoveschensk, 675000, Russia Received 10.01.2017, received in revised form 18.01.2017, accepted 29.04.2017 The article examines the works of the Amur region contemporary writers, who use the toposes of such popular genres as detective, science fiction, adventure, sentimental melodrama, romance novel and historical fiction. Using typological, comparative and historical-literary research methods the author shows that the appeal of the Amur writers to the topos of the mass literature genres has been typical of the whole existence of this local literature and explores the novels of the early 20th century and Soviet literature. However, at the turn of 20th-21st centuries, the attention to the topos of the mass literature genres became more intense. Due to this Amur writers update the structure of their texts, expanding readership, using new channels of books’ distribution, seeking recognition from literary institutions. Keywords: genre topos, mass literature, Amur literature, local literary history, the turn of 20th-21st centuries DOI: 10.17516/1997-1370-0076. Research area: philology. Introduction Amur literature at the turn of the 20th The modern literary process is undergoing and 21st centuries is of considerable interest serious changes under the influence of the here. During this period the Amur region (also disintegration of the traditional literature known as Priamurye, Amur Oblast and Outer supporting system, the emergence of new Manchuria) saw the emerging phenomenon of media, the transforming relationship with the net literature and literary blogging, with the readers.
    [Show full text]
  • Testimony Before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
    “China’s Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States” January 26, 2012 Testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Elizabeth Economy C.V. Starr Senior Fellow and Director, Asia Studies Council on Foreign Relations Introduction China’s quest for resources to fuel its continued rapid economic growth has brought thousands of Chinese enterprises and millions of Chinese workers to every corner of the world. Already China accounts for approximately one-fourth of world demand for zinc, iron and steel, lead, copper, and aluminum. It is also the world’s second largest importer of oil after the United States. And as hundreds of millions of Chinese continue to move from rural to urban areas, the need for energy and other commodities will only continue to increase. No resource, however, is more essential to continued Chinese economic growth than water. It is critical for meeting basic human needs, as well as demands for food and energy. As China’s leaders survey their water landscape, the view is not reassuring. More than 40 mid to large sized cities in northern China, such as Beijing and Tianjin, boast crisis- level water shortages.1 As a result, northern and western cities have been drawing down their groundwater reserves and causing subsidence, which now affects a 60 thousand kilometer area of the North China Plain. 2 According to the director of the Water Research Centre at Peking University Zheng Chunmiao, the water table under the North China Plain is falling at a rate of about a meter per year.3
    [Show full text]
  • Empires in East Asia
    DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=NL-A Module 3 Empires in East Asia Essential Question In general, was China helpful or harmful to the development of neighboring empires and kingdoms? About the Photo: Angkor Wat was built in In this module you will learn how the cultures of East Asia influenced one the 1100s in the Khmer Empire, in what is another, as belief systems and ideas spread through both peaceful and now Cambodia. This enormous temple was violent means. dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Explore ONLINE! SS.912.W.2.19 Describe the impact of Japan’s physiography on its economic and political development. SS.912.W.2.20 Summarize the major cultural, economic, political, and religious developments VIDEOS, including... in medieval Japan. SS.912.W.2.21 Compare Japanese feudalism with Western European feudalism during • A Mongol Empire in China the Middle Ages. SS.912.W.2.22 Describe Japan’s cultural and economic relationship to China and Korea. • Ancient Discoveries: Chinese Warfare SS.912.G.2.1 Identify the physical characteristics and the human characteristics that define and differentiate regions. SS.912.G.4.9 Use political maps to describe the change in boundaries and governments within • Ancient China: Masters of the Wind continents over time. and Waves • Marco Polo: Journey to the East • Rise of the Samurai Class • Lost Spirits of Cambodia • How the Vietnamese Defeated the Mongols Document Based Investigations Graphic Organizers Interactive Games Image with Hotspots: A Mighty Fighting Force Image with Hotspots: Women of the Heian Court 78 Module 3 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=NL-A Timeline of Events 600–1400 Explore ONLINE! East and Southeast Asia World 600 618 Tang Dynasty begins 289-year rule in China.
    [Show full text]
  • President Addresses First Joint Session of New Kazakh Parliament
    +5° / +1°C WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 No 6 (96) www.astanatimes.com President Addresses First Exit Poll Says Nur Otan Joint Session of New Kazakh Wins Overwhelmingly as Parliament, Sets Priorities Mazhilis Retains Previous Makeup greens Birlik (Unity) grabbed mea- By Galiaskar Seitzhan ger 0.35 percent. This outcome is basically a virtual repetition of the ASTANA – President Nursultan previous parliamentary election in Nazarbayev-led Nur Otan Party January 2012, which ended with won 82 percent of the popular vote very similar results. in the parliamentary election in Turnout, however, proved strong- Kazakhstan, according to exit poll er this time setting a new record in results announced at midnight on the country’s electoral history and March 21. beating the result from four years The survey also showed the ruling ago when 75.45 percent of regis- party will be opposed by the same tered voters showed up at the polls. parties in the new convocation of Yulia Kuchinskaya, head of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev (at the speaking rostrum) addresses the first joint session of the Senate and the Mazhilis on March 25. the Mazhilis (the national legisla- Astana-based Institute of Democ- ture’s lower chamber) as it was the racy sociological survey company pro-business Ak zhol Democratic According to Kazakhstan’s Cen- niversary of independence with Nazarbayev recalled that the omy of Kazakhstan. Various social Party and leftist Communist Peo- tral Election Commission Chair- By Malika orazgaliyeva the newly elected parliament. 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s problems grow even in relatively ple’s Party again barely crossed the man (CEC) Kuandyk Turgankulov, Three parties and nine members independence coincided with a prosperous countries, he noted.
    [Show full text]
  • THE KAZAKH STEPPE Conserving the World's Largest Dry
    THE KAZAKH STEPPE Conserving the world’s largest dry steppe region Photo: Chris Magin, IUCN Saryarka is an internationally significant mosaic of steppe and wetlands The Dry Steppe Region The steppe grasslands of Eurasia were once among the most extensive in the world, stretching from eastern Romania, Moldova and Ukraine in eastern Europe (often referred to as the Pontic steppe) east through Kazakhstan and western Russia). Together, the Pontic and Kazakh steppes, often collectively referred to as the Pontian steppe, comprise about 24% of the world’s temperate grasslands. They eventually link to the vast grasslands of eastern Asia extending to Mongolia, China and Siberian Russia, together creating the largest complex of temperate grasslands on earth. The remaining extent and ecological condition of these grasslands varies considerably by region. Today in eastern Europe, for example, only 3–5 % remain in a natural or near natural state, with only 0.2% protected. In contrast, the eastward extension of these steppes into Kazakhstan reveals lower levels of disturbance, where as much as 36% remain in a semi-natural or natural state. Although current levels of protection in this region are also very low, the steppes of Kazakhstan have the potential to offer significant opportunities for increased conservation and protection. The Kazakh steppe, also known as the Kirghiz steppe, is itself one of the largest dry steppe regions on the planet, covering approximately 804,500 square kilometres and extending more than 2,200 kilometres from north of the Caspian Sea east to the Altai Mountains. These grasslands lie at the southern end of the Ural Mountains, the traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecosystem Service Assessment of the Ili Delta, Kazakhstan Niels Thevs
    Ecosystem service assessment of the Ili Delta, Kazakhstan Niels Thevs, Volker Beckmann, Sabir Nurtazin, Ruslan Salmuzauli, Azim Baibaysov, Altyn Akimalieva, Elisabeth A. A. Baranoeski, Thea L. Schäpe, Helena Röttgers, Nikita Tychkov 1. Territorial and geographical location Ili Delta, Kazakhstan Almatinskaya Oblast (province), Bakanas Rayon (county) The Ili Delta is part of the Ramsar Site Ile River Delta and South Lake Balkhash Ramsar Site 2. Natural and geographic data Basic geographical data: location between 45° N and 46° N as well as 74° E and 75.5° E. Fig. 1: Map of the Ili-Balkhash Basin (Imentai et al., 2015). Natural areas: The Ramsar Site Ile River Delta and South Lake Balkhash Ramsar Site comprises wetlands and meadow vegetation (the modern delta), ancient river terraces that now harbour Saxaul and Tamarx shrub vegetation, and the southern coast line of the western part of Lake Balkhash. Most ecosystem services can be attributed to the wetlands and meadow vegetation. Therefore, this study focusses on the modern delta with its wetlands and meadows. During this study, a land cover map was created through classification of Rapid Eye Satellite images from the year 2014. The land cover classes relevant for this study were: water bodies in the delta, dense reed (total vegetation more than 70%), and open reed and shrub vegetation (vegetation cover of reed 20- 70% and vegetation cover of shrubs and trees more than 70%). The land cover class dense reed was further split into submerged dense reed and non-submerged dense reed by applying a threshold to the short wave infrared channel of a Landsat satellite image from 4 April 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • The 2018 Zhetysu Expedition-Full
    2018 ZHETYSU EXPEDITION The 2018 Zhetysu Expedition ‘In the footsteps of the Atkinsons through Eastern Kazakhstan’ 28 July - 10 August 2018 By Nick Fielding FRGS 1 | P a g e 2018 ZHETYSU EXPEDITION 1. Introduction In September 1848, after an arduous crossing of the desert from the small Cossack outpost of Ayaguz on the Kazakh Steppe, Thomas and Lucy Atkinson arrived in the newly-established bastion of Kopal, at the foot of the Djungar Alatau Mountains in the Zhetysu region – in Russian, Semirechye - of what is now Eastern Kazakhstan. At that time, it was usually described as Chinese Tartary - although the precise boundary between the Chinese and Russian Empires was not clearly delineated. The Djungar Alatau Mountains, some of which rise to over 5,000m, are merely outliers to the even higher peaks of the Tien Shan Mountains that today run along much of the official border between Kazakhstan and Western China. The Zhetysu region of Eastern Kazakhstan The Atkinsons had set off for this very remote region from the southern Siberian town of Barnaul in the spring of 1848, with the intention of visiting the Djungar Alatau Mountains and surrounding areas. They arrived at Kopal – 30km south-east of today’s Taldykorgan - in the wake of an 800-strong contingent of Russian Cossack troops, brought in to help pacify the local nomads and to facilitate the arrival of Russian settlers. Just six weeks after the Atkinsons arrived, Lucy Atkinson gave birth to a son, named Alatau Tamchiboulac Atkinson after the spring close to where he was born in Kopal.
    [Show full text]
  • EASTERN CENTRAL ASIA the Early History of Central Asia Is Gleaned
    CHAPTER FOUR EASTERN CENTRAL ASIA KASHGAR TO KHOTAN I. INTRODUCTION The early history of Central Asia is gleaned primarily from three major sources: the Chinese historical writings, usually governmental records or the diaries of the Bud­ dhist pilgrims; documents written in Kharosthl-an Indian script also adopted by the Kushans-(and some in an Iranian dialect using technical terms in Sanskrit and Prakrit) that reveal aspects of the local life; and later Muslim, Arab, Persian, and Turkish writings. 1 From these is painstakingly emerging a tentative history that pro­ vides a framework, admittedly still fragmentary, for beginning to understand this vital area and prime player between China, India, and the West during the period from the 1st to 5th century A.D. Previously, we have encountered the Hsiung-nu, particularly the northern branch, who dominated eastern Central Asia during much of the Han period (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), and the Yiieh-chih, a branch of which migrated from Kansu to northwest India and formed the powerful and influential Kushan empire of ca. lst-3rd century A.D. By ca. mid-3rd century the unified Kushan empire had ceased and the main line of kings from Kani~ka had ended. Another branch (the Eastern Kushans) ruled in Gandhara and the Indus Valley, and the northernpart of the former Kushan em­ pire came under the rule of Sasanian governors. However, after the death of the Sasanian ruler Shapur II in 379, the so-called Kidarites, named from Kidara, the founder of this "new" or Little Kushan Dynasty (known as the Little Yiieh-chih by the Chinese), appear to have unified the area north and south of the Hindu Kush between around 380-430 (likely before 410).
    [Show full text]
  • A/HRC/13/23/Add.1 General Assembly
    United Nations A/HRC/13/23/Add.1 General Assembly Distr.: General 1 February 2010 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirteenth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and Protection of all Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development Report of the independent expert on minority issues Addendum Mission to Kazakhstan* ** (6 to 15 July 2009) Summary Kazakhstan has approximately 130 different ethnic groups, many of which have lived on the territory of Kazakhstan for generations. Initiatives taken by the Government in the field of minority issues have undoubtedly helped to ensure stability and respect for diversity and minority rights. These initiatives have included important policies to help preserve minority languages, establish and fund cultural associations for the preservation of ethnic cultures and traditions and the establishment of consultative bodies, the most prominent of which is the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan. The Assembly of the People, which plays a consultative or advisory role to the President, is a valuable national symbol of the recognition of minorities and the commitment of the State to the preservation of the cultural heritage of minorities. Nine seats in the lower house of Parliament are reserved for members chosen from the Assembly. However, the Assembly lacks the character of a legitimately representative body. Its membership is not constituted on a fully democratic basis and members are not, therefore, clearly accountable to their minority communities. * Late submission. ** The summary of the present report is being circulated in all official languages. The report itself, contained in the annex to the summary, is being circulated in the language of submission and in Russian only.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Looming Water Crisis
    CHINADIALOGUE APRIL 2018 (IMAGE: ZHAOJIANKANG) CHINA’S LOOMING WATER CRISIS Charlie Parton Editors Chris Davy Tang Damin Charlotte Middlehurst Production Huang Lushan Translation Estelle With special thanks to China Water Risk CHINADIALOGUE Suite 306 Grayston Centre 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, UK www.chinadialogue.net CONTENTS Introduction 5 How serious is the problem? 6 The problem is exacerbated by pollution and inefficient use 9 Technical solutions are not sufficient to solve shortages 10 What are the consequences and when might they hit? 14 What is the government doing? 16 What is the government not doing and should be doing? 19 Can Xi Jinping stave off a water crisis? 25 Global implications 28 Global opportunities 30 Annex - Some facts about the water situation in China 32 About the author 37 4 | CHINA’S LOOMING WATER CRISIS SOUTH-NORTH WATER TRANSFER PROJECT (IMAGE: SNWTP OFFICIAL SITE) 5 | CHINA’S LOOMING WATER CRISIS INTRODUCTION Optimism or pessimism about the future success of Xi Jinping’s new era may be in the mind of the beholder. The optimist will point to the Party’s past record of adaptability and problem solving; the pessimist will point out that no longer are the interests of reform pointing in the same directions as the interests of Party cadres, and certainly not of some still powerful vested interests. But whether China muddles or triumphs through, few are predict- ing that problems such as debt, overcapacity, housing bubbles, economic rebalancing, the sheer cost of providing social security and services to 1.4 billion people will cause severe economic disruption or the collapse of Chi- na.
    [Show full text]
  • Optimization of Location of Transport and Logistics Centers at the Example of the Republic of Kazakhstan
    221 DOI: https://doi .org/10 .30932/1992-3252-2019-17-5-214-227 Optimization of Location of Transport and Logistics Centers at the Example of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ramazanova, Aray, Kazakh University of Transport Communications, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan*. Aray RAMAZANOVA ABSTRACT analysis and coordinate (gravitational method) Transport links largely determine the approach. potential of a country located within the Asian The objective of this article is to analyze the region to interact with market entities beyond possibility of using gravitational and multicriteria region’s borders. Meanwhile, transportation methods to find the optimal location for logistics of individual regions, territories, and transport and logistics centers using the countries is a complex integrated problem, example of the Republic of Kazakhstan. whose solution is based on the approaches to Based on that the research was intended as fundamentals of organisation of the operation an attempt to find optimal location of transport of transport infrastructure. and logistics centers in the Republic of One of the key tasks in organizing the work Kazakhstan. It was clearly shown that the use MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL ADMINISTRATION, of the transport system of the Republic of of the gravitational method has constraints if not Kazakhstan is to determine the location of the supplemented by the use of the multicriteria elements of its transport and logistics analysis method when solving the problem of infrastructure. At present, theoretical and choosing the optimal location of the transport methodological approaches to solving this and logistics infrastructure at the example of problem can be divided into multicriteria the Republic of Kazakhstan.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Resources Lifeblood of the Region
    Water Resources Lifeblood of the Region 68 Central Asia Atlas of Natural Resources ater has long been the fundamental helped the region flourish; on the other, water, concern of Central Asia’s air, land, and biodiversity have been degraded. peoples. Few parts of the region are naturally water endowed, In this chapter, major river basins, inland seas, Wand it is unevenly distributed geographically. lakes, and reservoirs of Central Asia are presented. This scarcity has caused people to adapt in both The substantial economic and ecological benefits positive and negative ways. Vast power projects they provide are described, along with the threats and irrigation schemes have diverted most of facing them—and consequently the threats the water flow, transforming terrain, ecology, facing the economies and ecology of the country and even climate. On the one hand, powerful themselves—as a result of human activities. electrical grids and rich agricultural areas have The Amu Darya River in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, with a canal (left) taking water to irrigate cotton fields.Upper right: Irrigation lifeline, Dostyk main canal in Makktaaral Rayon in South Kasakhstan Oblast, Kazakhstan. Lower right: The Charyn River in the Balkhash Lake basin, Kazakhstan. Water Resources 69 55°0'E 75°0'E 70 1:10 000 000 Central AsiaAtlas ofNaturalResources Major River Basins in Central Asia 200100 0 200 N Kilometers RUSSIAN FEDERATION 50°0'N Irty sh im 50°0'N Ish ASTANA N ura a b m Lake Zaisan E U r a KAZAKHSTAN l u s y r a S Lake Balkhash PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC Ili OF CHINA Chui Aral Sea National capital 1 International boundary S y r D a r Rivers and canals y a River basins Lake Caspian Sea BISHKEK Issyk-Kul Amu Darya UZBEKISTAN Balkhash-Alakol 40°0'N ryn KYRGYZ Na Ob-Irtysh TASHKENT REPUBLIC Syr Darya 40°0'N Ural 1 Chui-Talas AZERBAIJAN 2 Zarafshan TURKMENISTAN 2 Boundaries are not necessarily authoritative.
    [Show full text]