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) 

Download the full version here, available in English, Russian & German:

Picture credits: GHE

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