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Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus Lecture: State and Dynamics of Glaciation of the Kyrgyz Tien Shan

Climatic changes in Central Asia are causing the reduction of the Tien-Shan Mountain glaciation. Meanwhile, it is the mountain glaciation that is the key factor in the stable water supply to the hydrological system of this arid region. Meltwater from glaciers and seasonal snow cover largely feed Central Asian rivers. The countries use this water for economic activities such as irrigated agriculture and hydropower generation. However, the accelerated melting of glaciers poses additional risks to sustainable development and regional water, energy, and food security in the region. 

In the face of global climate change, the highlands of Central Asia have experienced a reduction in glaciers over the past decades and changes in snow cover climatology. In the Kyrgyz Republic, meltwater accounts for up to 50 percent of the total annual runoff and up to 70 percent in the summer months. They provide, in addition to agriculture, hydropower, which covers up to 90% of the country's electricity needs. Current trends call for better monitoring of glacier degradation rates and conditions to take more coordinated actions to minimize the negative impacts of this process through better planning and water management.

As part of the eleventh lecture, we will get acquainted with the impact of climate change on the socio-economic development of Central Asia and discuss how climate change and the state of glaciation are related to these challenges.

The lecture will focus on issues such as:

  • The state and dynamics of glaciation in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan;
  • Impact of glacier degradation on socio-economic processes and environmental changes in the region;
  • The need for mitigation and adaptation measures in the development sectors.

The eleventh lecture will be organized as an interactive session, and we are pleased to introduce our distinguished speaker:

  • Mr. Satylganov Rysbek Abylayevich, PhD, Head of the Tien Shan High Mountain Research Center at the Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower at the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic.


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