During the workshop titled “Enhancing Water Security and Managing Water Resources in Central Asia”, which took place on July 31 2023 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, Abdikhamid Urazkeldiev, the national consultant of IWMI (Hydro4U project), delivered a presentation on the topic “Small Hydro Power (SHP) in the Context of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Climate Change: Contributing to the Development of Green Energy through Cross-Sectoral relations.”

The workshop was part of a series of similar events focusing on enhancing capacity and promoting collaboration among stakeholders in the region for better water security organized by IWMI Regional Representative Office for Central Asia in partnership with local institutions in Central Asia. In addition, this workshop was also sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service.

During his presentation, A. Urazkeldiev highlighted the increasing relevance of Small Hydro Power (SHP) for the countries in Central Asia and emphasized the support they receive from various donors, including the EU regional project, “Hydro4U – Hydropower for You,” which covers Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. A more detailed explanation was provided about Hydro4Us’ Test-site “Badam” in Southern Kazakhstan.

The participants of the workshop discovered that through collaboration among representatives from the fields of science, industry, business, and research, advanced innovative technologies are being introduced to the countries of Central Asia, particularly in the development of small hydropower plants. The implemented technologies are based on European Small Hydropower technologies with the aim to find innovative solutions tailored to Central Asian needs and the use of green energy.

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В ходе семинара «Повышение водной безопасности и управление водными ресурсами в Центральной Азии», который состоялся 31 июля 2023 года в Шымкенте, Казахстан, Абдихамид Уразкелдиев, национальный консультант IWMI (проект Hydro4U) выступил с докладом на тему «Малые гидроэлектростанции (ГЭС) в контексте взаимосвязи Малые ГЭС в контексте Нексуса «Вода-Энергия-Продовольствия» и изменения климата (Вклад в развитие «зеленой» энергетики: преимущества межотраслевых связей)». Семинар стал частью серии мероприятий, направленных на укрепление потенциала и развитие сотрудничества между заинтересованными сторонами в регионе для повышения водной безопасности, организованных Представительством ИВМИ в Центральной Азии в партнерстве с местными учреждениями в Центральной Азии и спонсируемых Лесной службой США.

Во время своего выступления, А.Уразкельдиев отметил растущую актуальность малых ГЭС для стран Центральной Азии и подчеркнул поддержку, которую они получают от различных доноров, включая региональный проект ЕС «Hydro4u – Энергия для вас», который охватывает Казахстан, Кыргызстан, Узбекистан и Таджикистан. Было предоставлено более подробное объяснение об испытательной площадке Hydro4U под названием «Бадам» в Южном Казахстане.

Участники семинара узнали, что благодаря сотрудничеству представителей сферы науки, промышленности, бизнеса и исследований в странах Центральной Азии внедряются передовые инновационные технологии, в частности, в области развития малых ГЭС. Эти технологии получены из стран ЕС и направлены на продвижение использования зеленой энергии.

Author & picture credits: IWMI

On August 1, 2023, two trainings were held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan on “Application of water accounting facilities and automation in irrigation systems and river basins” and “Introduction of digital technologies in the water sector”. These trainings are part of a series organized by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Regional Representative Office for Central Asia in partnership with local partners and sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service.

More than 25 participants attended the two trainings, including researchers, Ph.D. students, as well as practitioners from Kazakhstan. During the event, Oyture Anarbekov, country manager of the IWMI Regional Representative Office for Central Asia discussed the objectives and goals of the Hydro4U project and shared information about the institutional concept in transboundary small rivers, which was successfully tested in the At-Bashi and Shakhimardan rivers.

The audience at the training expressed their interest in O.Anarbekov’s speech and posed questions about the Hydro4U project, which were duly answered.

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1 августа 2023 года в г. Шымкент, Казахстан, состоялись два тренинга на тему «Применение средств учета воды и автоматизации в оросительных системах и бассейнах рек» и «Внедрение цифровых технологий в водном хозяйстве». Данные тренинги являются частью серии, организованной Регионального Представительства Международного института управления водными ресурсами (IWMI) по Центральной Азии в партнерстве с местными партнерами и спонсируемой Лесной службой США (USFS).

В двух тренингах приняли участие более 25 участников, в том числе научные сотрудники, докторанты и практики из Казахстана. На мероприятии выступил Ойтуре Анарбеков, региональный менеджер Регионального представительства ИВМИ в Центральной Азии. О.Анарбеков обсудил цели и задачи проекта Hydro4U и поделился информацией об институциональной концепции на трансграничных малых реках, которая была успешно апробирована на реках Ат-Баши и Шахимардан.

Слушатели тренинга проявили интерес к выступлению О.Анарбекова и задали вопросы о проекте Hydro4U, на которые были должным образом даны ответы.

Author & picture credits: IWMI

On August 4, 2023, by invitation of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan as well as the Governor Office of the Turkestan Province of Kazakhstan, Country Manager of International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Regional Representative Office for Central Asia, Mr. Oyture Anarbekov, as well as IWMI Central Asia’s project consultant Mr. Abdikhamid Urazkeldiyev participated and contributed to the International Conference: Improving the environmental situation in the region through the development of green spaces and issues of agricultural development.

Thereby, Oyture Anarbekov presented current ongoing One CGIAR Initiatives as well as current bilateral projects in Kazakhstan including Hydro4U (EU).Furthermore, insights on the Hydro4U project’s objectives and goals were shared as well as the institutional concept in transboundary small rivers.

Oyture Anarbekov’s presentation was well-received by the attendees, who appreciated his expertise and insights on the Hydro4U project and its potential impact on the region’s water resources management. Overall, the conference provided an excellent platform for sharing knowledge and ideas on environmental sustainability and agricultural development in Kazakhstan and beyond.

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4 августа 2023 года по приглашению Академии сельскохозяйственных наук Республики Казахстан, а также Акимата Туркестанской области Казахстана, Страновой менеджер Регионального Представительства Международного института управления водными ресурсами (IWMI) по Центральной Азии Ойтуре Анарбеков, а также Консультант проекта Представительства IWMI в Центральной Азии Абдихамид Уразкелдиев приняли участие и внесли свой вклад в проведение Международной конференции: Улучшение экологической ситуации в регионе путем развития зеленых насаждений и вопросы развития сельского хозяйства.

Ойтуре Анарбеков выступил с презентацией, о текущих инициативах One CGIAR, а также о реализуемых проектах, включая Hydro4U (ЕС). Он поделился своим мнением о целях и задачах проекта Hydro4U, а также об институциональной концепции трансграничных малых рек.

Презентация О.Анарбекова была хорошо встречена присутствующими, которые высоко оценили его опыт и понимание проекта Hydro4U и его потенциального влияния на управление водными ресурсами в Центральной Азии.

В целом, конференция стала плодотворной платформой для обмена знаниями и идеями по вопросам экологической устойчивости и развития сельского хозяйства в Казахстане и за его пределами.

Author & picture credits: IWMI

In Central Asia, allocation conflicts between large-scale hydropower (HP) in the upstream countries and irrigation in the downstream occur regularly and mostly across complex international borders, especially during water scarce years and low storage conditions. With an increasing attention on the Sustainable small-scale hydropower production, the Water – Food – Energy– Climate (WFEC) Nexus is now under renewed focus in the Region.

In line with these developments, CARTIF has conducted a geo-localized analysis of the agriculture water withdrawal in the Region. This water consumption is a crucial element of the WFEC Nexus studies as it directly impacts into the downstream water availability affecting HP potential.

While crop production data at the national level are reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), similar data within sub-national boundaries or river basin scale are rarely available, and not from one institution. In the absence of official statistical data at the basin level, CARTIF’s GIS assessment has been based on the Spatial Production Allocation Model (MapSPAM) [1]. MapSPAM provides open access data on 42 different crop types and its management practices at 10 km of spatial resolution on an annual basis from 2000, 2005 and 2010. Each pixel in the region is associated to a harvested irrigated area and a specific crop yield. The latter can be transformed into agricultural water withdrawal rates by means of the water requirements for each crop type, identified in relevant publications [2-5]. Following this methodology, it has been possible to compute the agricultural water consumption in Central Asia and in the zone of runoff formation (ZRF), an area located in the mountainous territories and which concentrates the higher HP potential in Central Asia [6], as it is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Water consumption calculated for irrigated crops, Central Asia (picture 1) and close up of the zone of runoff formation area (picture 2).

These geo-located results of the water demand by irrigation could be used to reduce the circulating flow at points with small HP potential located downstream of the cultivated area. In this way, WFEC Nexus variables could be included in the HP potential estimation, ensuring that an adequate management is guaranteed between water uses.

Within Hydro4U, project partner CARTIF is leading the replication activities of sustainable small-hydropower potential, which includes the development of the Hydro4U replication guideline tool. They contribute to the determination of the sustainable hydropower potential based on GIS data and impacts modelling at river basin scale. This also helps to quantify the shared benefits and trade-off analyses in the context of the Water-Food-Energy-Climate nexus. Project outputs also support the development of a screening tool to analyse site-specific hydropower conditions in Central Asia.

Authors: Iván Ramos & Raquel López, CARTIF

Picture credits: CARTIF Technology Centre, 2023

Sources:

[1] https://www.mapspam.info/data/

[2] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) AQUASTAT Crop Water Information [Dataset] Available online: https://www.fao.org/land-water/databases-and-software/crop-information (accessed on 20 May 2023).

[3 ] Oweis, T.; Hachum, A.; Pala, M. Lentil Production under Supplemental Irrigation in a Mediterranean Environment. Agric. Water Manag. 2004, 68, 251–265, doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2004.03.013.

[4] Mohamoud, M.; Abdalla, A.; Elhag, M.; Yousif, L. Estimation of Water Requirement and Water Productivity of Sesame Crop (Sesamum Indicum L.) in Dryland Areas of Sennar State, Sudan. 2019, 1–16.

[5] Torres, R.R.; Robaina, A.D.; Peiter, M.X.; Ben, L.H.B.; Mezzomo, W.; Kirchner, J.H.; Rosso, R.B.; Pimenta, B.D.; Pereira, A.C.; Loregian, M.V. Water Productivity and Production Function in Irrigated Millet Crop. Semin. Ciências Agrárias 2019, 40, 2837, doi:10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n6Supl2p2837.

[6] De Keyser, J., Hayes, D. S., Seliger, C., Siegfried, T., López, R., Ramos, I. & Habersack, H. (2023). Hydro4U – Deliverable 1.4 First technical report.

Partner Description: Link to the respective partner description on the Hydro4U website (by SEZ)
Website: www.cartif.es

Twitter: @CARTIFCT

LinkedIn: CARTIF

Facebook: CARTIF

In nature, evolutionary changes usually take place incrementally, although their effects can be enormous. While developing the new ‘EVO’ turbine series, Hydro4U project partner and the Upper Austrian hydropower all-rounders at Global Hydro Energy GmbH subjected their Pelton, Francis, and Kaplan turbines to a complete rethink, adapting and optimising them to meet the very latest requirements in terms of environmental protection, economic efficiency and ease of maintenance.

The new Kaplan EVO is the centrepiece of the promising modular shaft power plant – a further development of the patent power plant concept created by the Technical University of Munich. It’s an independent Kaplan turbine system that opens up new perspectives for previously unexploited low-head sites. The Kaplan EVO is predestined for use in both refurbishment projects, and all existing transversely-built low-head structures.

Source & Authorisation: zek HYDRO  (edition April 2023, pages 44-47) 

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Picture credits: GHE