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Water in Central Asia

The picture shows a view over the landscape of the Tian Shan. In the centre is a measuring station with a GNSS station (right), a wind mast (centre), in front of it the box with instruments and on the left a snow measuring system.
Meteorological measuring station in Taragay (Kyrgyzstan) (T. Schöne, GFZ)
The picture shows a buoy with a GNSS antenna in the centre, which is being pulled across the lake behind a ship with a rope. The snow-covered mountains of Tian Shan can be seen in the background.
Lake surface measurement with a GNSS buoy at Issyk Kul (Kyrgyzstan) (T. Schöne, GFZ)

Background

Water availability in Central Asia is one of the research areas addressed by the German initiative GreenCentralAsia. The water resources are primarily made up of precipitation (rain or snow) and meltwater from the glaciers. Using radar altimetry, it is possible to observe and analyse changes in inland water masses, e.g., in reservoirs or rivers. This enables to recognise water shortages at an early stage and identify options for action for local decision-makers. The data and information generated from the satellite measurements are made available to the public via data portals. A key component of the research field is the establishment and operation of a hydro-meteorological network  in Central Asia and the operation of dedicated observatories as part of the Global Change Observatory Central Asia. Building on the expertise in the development and operation of "Remotely Operated Multi-Parameter Stations" (ROMPS), the network contributes to the international data exchange, for the acquisition of meteorological and hydro-meteorological parameters, analyses of changes in glacier mass balances and for the analyses of geodynamic parameters. In addition, we use the data and results to validate satellite observations as part of the Issyk Kul Observatory operated jointly with CAIAG (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) and for the harmonisation of radar altimetry.

Our geodetic monitoring infrastructure contributes to the activities of IAG and GGOS and forms the basis for us to derive long-term, short-term and rapid changes in various earth system parameters.

Key scientific questions

  • How is water availability changing in Central Asia?
  • Are the meteorological parameters in Central Asia changing in the long term?
  • Issyk Kul Observatory - How stable and reliable are the satellite altimeter missions?

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