Eurasian Studies

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Browsing Eurasian Studies by Subject "Kazakhstan"

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    Power to the People: Disaster Resilience support with advance energy storage systems
    (2017-01-01) Sagintayev, Zhanay; Collins, Neil; Zhanay, Sagintayev
    Abstract The occurrence of both natural and man-made disasters is inescapable, but the consequences for the lives of vulnerable communities can be mitigated. United Nation (UN) and organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommend investing proactive rather than re-active actions in dealing with disasters. It is commonly understood that “$1 spent on risk reduction saves between $5 and $10 in economic losses from disasters.” Currently Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan have weak proactive support programs and disaster mitigation plans. Most of the support activities are post disaster. Proactive actions, monitoring and prediction analysis of the potential disasters in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries require a multidisciplinary cooperative approach with applications of remote sensing sensor monitoring technologies. These require a permanent energy supply in various harsh environmental conditions. What advance energy storage systems are available and can be used for a Disaster Resilience programs? How can these energy storage systems be integrated into remote sensing sensor monitoring technologies? Our group of researchers is developing the multidisciplinary Disaster Resilience Institute (www.drinu.org) and Laboratory to Monitor Engineering Constructions (LaMEC, www.lamec.org) to work on proactive monitoring actions related to engineering facilities that are interconnected to surface and underground water resources such as bridges, dams, and reservoirs. We are looking for the cooperation in these areas and are convinced that success is presaged on a multidisciplinary approach.
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    Priorities and challenges for a sustainable management of water resources in Kazakhstan
    (2017-11-01) Karatayev, Marat; Kapsalyamova, Zhanna; Spankulova, Lazat; Skakova, Aizhan; Movkebayeva, Galiya; Kongyrbay, Adilet; Marat, Karatayev
    Abstract The water availability in Kazakhstan is 37000 m3 per one km2 and 3650 m3 per capita a year, an amount that is lower than the world average (around 6000 m3) (Knoema, 2016). It is expected that water availability falls to 2300 m3 per capita in a year by 2030 (FAO, 2016a). Water pollution is a further problem for exploiting available water resources. In fact, 50–70% of surface water resources in Kazakhstan have been rated “polluted” and “highly polluted” in terms of ecological status (ICSD, 2016). Apart from that, water use efficiency remains very low. The average efficiency of canal water delivery systems is only 15–20% compared to 70–90% in most developed countries (FAO, 2016b). A number of institutional and policy measures have been implemented to enhance the sustainability of water resource use and water security; however, the country is still facing a number of problems of water use in a sustainable manner. This study provides stakeholders’ assessment of the critical factors that affect the sustainable management of water resources in Kazakhstan. The study rests on the results from the interviews that are further examined using the SWOC approach (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. The study demonstrates and prioritizes 32 critical SWOC factors relevant to the sustainable management of water resources in Kazakhstan. The study also determines four key stakeholder groups with differing opinions regarding the SWOC factors, which could potentially impact final policy implementation. Creating a comprehensive regulatory framework alongside decentralising water management from state water authorities to community-based water-user associations as well as investment to innovative irrigation technologies are likely to contribute towards a more equitable and efficient water distribution.