The Aral Sea repeatedly appeared and disappeared over the last century but has now steadily decreased as the dust increased, resulting in desertification. There is still water in the north of the Aral Sea but the ‘desert’ lakebed in the middle has more dust and sandstorms than anywhere else in the world. Researchers used two… Read More Dust detectors in the Aral Sea basin
With its mixed continental climate, Central Asia faces unstable periods of draughts and rains. This has led to serious water shortages across the regions (Fig. 1) followed by escalating water-based conflicts between countries, increased hunger and threatened economics. However, despite the scientific progress and the continuous international effort, Central Asian water management institutes still rely on… Read More Linking science and action – how to resolve water challenges in Central Asia
Researchers from the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory, Saint Petersburg have assessed future climate change impacts on agriculture in the Central Asian republics. The analysis looks at the consequences of global warming for the main branches of agriculture in Central Asia, such as cotton, wheat and barley by the middle of 21st century. They found that… Read More Cottoning onto warmer farming in Central Asia #climate
More than bears 