Promoting a gender perspective and addressing the unique challenges faced by women in Central Asia’s energy transition is crucial for achieving sustainable development. Central Asia holds immense potential for sustainable small-scale hydropower, which remains largely untapped in the region. The Hydro4U project aims to address this untapped potential and demonstrate the viability of eco-friendly hydropower solutions in Central Asia. However, the project goes beyond the realms of energy and technology. It recognizes the importance of addressing gender issues and empowering women in the water-energy-food-climate nexus.

The Hydro4U project aims to adapt European technologies to Central Asia, demonstrating the viability of sustainable small-scale hydropower and fostering cross-sectoral cooperation. Thereby, one of its core objectives is to promote gender equality by ensuring women’s active participation, capacity building, and economic empowerment in the water-energy-food-climate nexus. By integrating gender considerations into its activities, Hydro4U aims to create a more inclusive and equitable society.

The current energy crisis and transition in Central Asia, shifting from fossil fuels to renewables, have specific effects on women, exacerbating the burden on women in rural areas through limited access to clean energy sources and unreliable energy supply. Energy shortages impact Women’s daily tasks, livelihoods, and economic opportunities in addition to the challenges they face related to education, health, and household responsibilities due to energy limitations and fluctuations.

Climate change alters water availability and growing seasons, affecting agriculture and food security in rural areas. Changes in precipitation patterns and temperature can lead to reduced crop yields, livestock productivity, and food availability. Women, who play a crucial role in food production, processing, and household food security, bear the brunt of these impacts. Reduced incomes, food insecurity, and malnutrition disproportionately affect women and their families, perpetuating social and economic inequalities.

Women’s representation and participation in decision-making processes concerning energy policies and investments are often inadequate in Central Asia. This results in gender-blind energy planning and implementation, neglecting the specific needs and perspectives of women. It is therefore essential to ensure women have a voice in shaping energy policies, strategies, and projects to create sustainable and inclusive solutions to mitigate the gender disparities exacerbated by the energy crisis and transition.

Author: Saida Usmonova, IWMI

In February, Hydro4U project partner TIIAME has conducted a seminar dedicated to the experience and prospects of using electrofishing and telemetry methods in scientific research in Uzbekistan.

The seminar-training focused on “Electrofishing and telemetry” within the Hydro4U project and brought together 25 experts in the fields of ecology, fisheries and natural resources management from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Academy of sciences as well as the National association of “Uzbekbalyk” to discuss the latest research and developments in the mentioned areas.

Besides that, there was an opportunity for speakers to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method, as well as discussing different types of equipment and technologies. TIIAME representative Professor Bakhtiyor Karimov provided enough information about the use of electrofishing with the aim of assessing the impacts of small hydropower on fish populations in Uzbekistan and made a presentation about the use of telemetry for tracking the movements of snowtrout in Shakhimardan river.

Author & picture credits: TIIAME

Hydro4U project partner hydrosolutions GmbH has recently submitted a paper manuscript to the open-access Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Journal. In this scientific study, the researchers from hydrosolutions GmbH, jointly with partners from Central Asia, investigated the impact of climate change on the water resources of 221 catchments in high-mountain Central Asia during the 21^st century. Figure 1 shows a map of the study region. The highlighted area includes Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the Hindukush, Gissar-Alay, Pamir, and Tien Shan Mountain ranges.

Figure 1: Map showing semi-arid Central Asia. 221 catchments were delineated and are color-coded according to the larger basin where they are located. They cover an area of 423’099 km². Where available, long-term historic discharge data shows increasing trends in water supply (blue dots). The red dots show decreasing trends in discharge.

They used a simplified soil moisture water balance model to examine how precipitation gets divided into runoff and evaporation under different climate scenarios. They also compared future periods (2011-2040, 2041-2070, and 2071-2100) to a baseline period (1979-2011) to estimate changes in water discharge across the region and for all catchments using this model.

The researchers used high-resolution historic climate data to obtain daily temperature and precipitation values for each catchment. They also used data from four different climate models (WCRP Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 6) to predict future climate conditions and compared these predictions to the baseline observed data. To account for variations in soil characteristics, they tested their model’s performance against different soil parameters.

Using the historic climate (Figure 2) and discharge data together with the model, it could be shown that, on average, 42% of the total precipitated water in the mountains runs off to the plains in the downstream where most of it (>> 90%) is consumed in irrigated agriculture. The rest evaporates back to the atmosphere where part of the moisture gets recycled in precipitation.

Figure 2: The left plate shows the aridity index of each catchment and the right plate mean precipitation levels of the baseline period. The aridity index is a measure of dryness.

Data from the climate models indicate that Central Asia will likely experience more precipitation and warmer temperatures in the future. The average increase in total precipitation across the catchments and scenarios is 4.44% for 2011-2040, 5.89% for 2041-2070, and 8.51% for 2071-2100. The median increase in temperature relative to the baseline is +1.33°C, +2.44°C, and +3.55°C for each respective period (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Distributions of mean future climate states over all 221 catchments as a function of the climate scenario and the target time period. hist_obs refers to the baseline climate investigated. The remainder scenarios are different climate scenarios with increasing CO2 atmospheric concentrations. Period p1 is from 2011-2040, p2 is from 2041-2070, and p3 is from 2071-2100.

The results suggest that on average water discharge will also increase by 4.71%, 7.44%, and 10.87% in the corresponding periods, despite the potential for increased evaporation (Figure 4). This implies that even though glaciers might contribute less water, the overall water availability in the region will still increase. The most significant changes are expected in the Afghan Murghab-Harirud basin and the Amu Darya.

Figure 4: Per-scenario statistics of relative changes in discharge over the 221 catchments for the three periods. Period p1 is from 2011-2040, p2 is from 2041-2070, and p3 is from 2071-2100.

The study also highlights the need for further research on how these climate changes may impact extreme weather events in Central Asia, as this remains an understudied topic. Overall, the research suggests a warmer and wetter future for the region, with implications for its water resources and hydrological extremes. These are also important in the context of the current and future hydropower developments in the region.

For more information, please visit the preprint online.

Author & picture credits: Tobias Siegfried, hydrosolutions GmbH

Last week, Hydro4U project coordinator Bertalan Alapfy from the Technical University of Munich had the honor to meet the Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Germany, Mr. Omurbek Tekebaev, in the Bavarian village Großweil. Together with the operators, they visited the first Hydroshaft power plant, that has been in operation on the River Loisach since 2020. Although the facility is generally operating well, a lot of technical-economic optimization measures have been identified both during construction and operation.

Within the Hydro4U project, together with Erhard Muhr GmbH and Global Hydro Energy we have used these experiences to further develop the Hydroshaft concept into a modular and scalable water-to-wire product line.

The Ambassador was delighted to get to know the details of these developments, as the first such facility will be implemented in the At-Bashy region of the Kyrgyz Republic. The feasibility design has been developed by our Hydro4U project coordinator and his team, with valuable inputs from all project partners. Now we are handing over to ILF Consulting Engineers for the detailed construction design. According to plan, construction start is scheduled for fall this year.

Author: Bertalan Alapfy

The water-energy-food nexus is a critical issue in Central Asia, and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has been at the forefront of conducting comprehensive analyses to address this challenge. Central Asia, which includes countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, is characterized by a complex web of interdependencies between water, energy, and food production. Water is a scarce resource in Central Asia, with the region being home to some of the world’s largest rivers, including the Amu Darya and Syr Darya. These rivers are critical for irrigation, hydropower generation, and transportation, making them a key component of the water-energy-food nexus. However, increasing demand for water for agriculture, urbanization, and energy production has led to over-extraction of water from these rivers, resulting in declining water availability for all sectors.

The Hydro4U partner IWMI has conducted in-depth analyses of the water-energy-food nexus in Central Asia, using interdisciplinary approaches that integrate hydrology, agriculture, and energy systems. These analyses have revealed the complex interactions and trade-offs between water use for irrigation, hydropower generation, and food production. One of the key findings of IWMI’s research is the significant impact of climate change on the water-energy-food nexus in Central Asia. Changing precipitation patterns, receding glaciers, and rising temperatures are altering water availability, leading to shifts in agricultural productivity and energy generation.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) also has conducted extensive analysis of the water-energy-food nexus in Central Asia, taking into account the social aspects, including the role of women and children. Central Asia is a region where social dynamics and gender roles play a significant role in shaping water, energy, and food security outcomes. IWMI’s research has recognized that women and children are often disproportionately affected by water, energy, and food challenges in Central Asia. Women, in particular, play a crucial role in agriculture and household food production, as well as in water collection and management.

In Kyrgyz Republic, over 60% of the people live in rural areas, while in Uzbekistan, the urban and rural populations are split almost evenly at 50%. The challenge for these rural communities is the access to clean and running water, as the water supply systems established during the Soviet era have not been properly maintained or refurbished. Uzbekistan, located in a dry region of Central Asia, inherited a well-developed water supply and sanitation infrastructure, but the system is outdated, damaged by corrosion, operating inefficiently. Continuity in water services is lacking, and there is insufficient pressure in pipelines.

In both Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan, women are primarily responsible for collecting, distributing, and managing household water and sanitation practices. Research on Gender and Water (World Bank) in Uzbekistan shows that in households without access to drinking water, 61% of the burden of collecting water falls on adult women. This task is physically strenuous, time-consuming, and can be hazardous. Moreover, the time spent fetching water reduces opportunities for women to pursue education, generate income, develop skills, and engage in leisure activities.

The HYDRO4U project, funded by the European Union, is small hydropower installation that is making a significant impact on the water-energy-food nexus in rural Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, not only by providing clean and sustainable energy but also by bringing about crucial social benefits, particularly for women and children in these communities.

Find out more in our next Newsletter edition!

Author: Saida Usmonova, IWMI

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Picture Credits: Bertalan Alapfy

This year, the International Summer School will take place from 16 – 30 August 2023 in Kyrgyztan.

KSTU, as one of the partners of Hydro4U project, annually holds a two-week Summer School for students. This programme was already developed jointly by KSTU and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in 2019.

In 2023, the number of scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has been increased in accordance with the great demand among German students, amounting to 15 scholarships. Previously, there were only up to 8 scholarships and the rest participated at their own expense. The target group of the Summer School mainly focuses on civil or environmental engineering students currently enrolled in their master’s degree. A special focus is also on young engineers, who already gained professionals knowledge in water related topics.

The DAAD scholarship is only available for students from German Universities. Students from other Universities outside of Germany must find another way of funding themselves.

Make sure to apply and be part of the Summer School 2023!

The submission of documents and registration is open on the DAAD website Ausschreibung Go East – Sommer- und Winterschulen 2023 für ausländische Hochschulen – DAAD as well as on the KSTU website https://kstu.kg/en/summer-school-1 .

The application deadline for DAAD Scholarships is June 5^th 2023. The Deadline for self-funding applications is on June 20^th 2023.

Author: Venera Baichekirova

This year, the global water and energy community got together at the ASIA 2023 conference from 14^th to 16^th of March, where participants had the opportunity to attend various sessions on topics such as environmental aspects of hydro and dam development, but also on the topic of European innovations in Central Asia.

For this, a special session was jointly organized by the IEA Hydropower Technology Collaboration Program (TCP) and the Hydro4U innovation project. Recent activities of the IEA Hydro are increasingly focusing on valuating of and technical solutions for additional services provided by hydropower, such as flood control and drought management, flexibility on multiple scales, storage, or hybridization, not only for individual plants but also in large river basins.

Within Hydro4U, sustainable design and operation of innovative European small hydropower technology will be demonstrated at two pilot sites currently under development in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan as well as additional planning sites. The technological innovation at the two demo sites is based on the low-head Hydroshaft concept and a medium-head Francis container solution. Both technologies are developed in combination with sustainability aspects such as fish habitat protection and passage in both directions as well as a detailed analysis of climate change resilience.

The decision on the final design is expected at the end of May 2023, followed by detailed construction drawings to be prepared until the end of July 2023. After the authority approvals, expected in August 2023, the construction of the Demo Site in At-Bashy is planned to be started in September 2023.

Authors: Bertalan Alapfy, Klaus Jorde

Over the course of the last few decades, Hydropower has played a significant role within the energy sector. For this purpose, Hydro4U partner BOKU from Vienna, Austria further examined the topic of sustainable hydropower in the area of conflict between renewable energy and ecology.

With a focus on the evolution of hydropower in its historical context as well as its global position today, the following articles, published in the BOKU magazine, give an insight into research activities at BOKU while also highlighting the role within the Hydro4U project.

• BOKU magazine
• Factsheet

In Hydro4U, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) is represented by two institutes: the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and River Research (IWA) and the Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG). The BOKU team has been analysing Central Asian rivers through large-scale GIS datasets and conducting ecological and geomorphological sustainability assessments at the project’s demo sites in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Determination of the small-scale hydropower potential of Central Asia

A key task of the last year’s project work was to assess the small hydropower potential of Central Asia through a multi-step procedure. This was achieved by reducing the theoretical line potential towards a sustainable one by including various sustainability and technical aspects in the calculations. By achieving this milestone, a major step has been made in order to achieve one of the goals of Hydro4U: the development of a GIS-based decision support system for sustainable hydropower covering Central Asia.

The results show much untapped sustainable small-scale hydropower potential in the region. In the next step, the scenario building will be performed to assess hydropower development, for example, in the context of legal and regulatory frameworks but also ones based on different nature conservation levels.

Fish sampling campaign to At-Bashy River, Kyrgyzstan

In October 2022, Daniel S. Hayes and Bernhard Zeiringer (BOKU) travelled to the At-Bashy demo site in Kyrgyzstan to sample fish diversity with scientists from TIIAME and the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.

The sampling campaign confirmed the presence of three fish species to be considered for sustainability assessments: the Tibetan stone loach (Triplophysa stoliczka), osman (Diptychus sewerzowi), and snow trout (Schizothorax sp.). The results indicate that fish species in the At-Bashy River system are reproducing naturally. However, the weir may hinder the spawning migration of adult fish, leading to a reduction in stock size upstream. The high abundance of subadult and adult fish, especially snow trout, in the lowest reaches of the river suggests that these areas serve as winter habitats, highlighting the importance of river connectivity for up- and downstream migrating fish.

Special Hydro4U session at IAHR 2023

The BOKU team is pleased to announce that a special session will represent the Hydro4U project at the 40th IAHR World Congress, held in Vienna, Austria, from 21-25 August 2023. The session titled “Introducing the “WFE” Nexus to Central Asia Focusing on Sustainable Development of Small Hydropower” will be chaired by experts from TUM (Nils Rüther and Hannah Schwedhelm), BOKU (Jan de Keyser and Daniel S. Hayes), and HSOL (Tobias Siegfried).

The conveners look forward to an exciting session and welcome you to join!

Registration is open: Registration – IAHR World Congress

Authors: Daniel S. Hayes, Jan De Keyser, BOKU

Picture Credits: Daniel S. Hayes, Jan De Keyser et al.

The ecological sustainability of hydropower is one of the key aspects within Hydro4U. Lessons learned in Europe but also other parts of the world show that impacts of hydropower have caused a severe reduction of riverine fish in number and diversity. For instance, through hindering migration, changing the flow regime by lowering the base flows, generating fast artificial flow changes, or disturbing natural habitat structures.

At the demonstration site Shakimardan, Uzbekistan, the impacts of hydropower development on the river Koksu have been studied by SJE in cooperation with local experts such as the Central Asian partner TIIAME and European partners like BOKU and EVINBO. These results have been considered in the planning of the hydropower plant in collaboration with the project partners KJ Consult and TUM Munich.

A new cell phone-based mapping tool designed by SJE has been applied to collect habitat information along the affected, more than 3 km long section of the river Koksu and to integrate it into a GIS. Habitat information for the target species snow trout (Schizothorax eurystomus), has been jointly collected via E-Fishing by BOKU and TIIAME. This information has been used for simulations performed with the SJE-owned software CASiMiR (www.casimir-software.de) for various river flows to find a seasonally adapted E-Flow that protects the local fish population.

The existing diversion weir and intake structure are modernised and equipped with a state-of-the-art fish way respectively a bypass installation that enable up- and downstream migration for snow trout. A migration barrier within the diverted river section is made passable by building a fishway adapted to the local lack of space. Currently, a telemetry study is performed by TIIAME and EVINBO using fish tagging with passive integrated transponders and the mapping tool, to find out about the migration movements of snow trout. The gained insights will feed into the adaptive management of the future Hydro Power Plant.

Author: Matthias Schneider, SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering GmbH

Photos and figures by Matthias Schneider and Tobias Hägele, SJE GmbH