The satellites will help optimize irrigation of land in the Syrdarya basin
The Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea organized large-scale research in the Syrdarya River basin. The works are funded by a grant from the French Development Agency (AFD) and cover the territories of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Specialists are engaged in adjusting the hydromodular zoning of the basin, analyzing current climatic data, soil characteristics, as well as natural and irrigation-economic features of the area.
In Kazakhstan, the project affects vast areas of agricultural land: the study area includes 550 thousand hectares of irrigated land in the Turkestan region and 254 thousand hectares of land in the Kyzylorda region. To ensure maximum data accuracy, experts use an integrated approach, combining full-scale ground measurements with satellite monitoring. Field studies and observations have already started at four pilot sites in these areas.
Specialized scientific organizations of the two countries are involved in the implementation of the initiative. The project involves the Kazakh Research Institute of Water Management and the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Coordination Water Management Commission of Central Asia, based in Uzbekistan. Updating of maps of hydromodular zoning of the Syrdarya basin is carried out using modern geoinformation systems and technologies of remote sensing of the Earth.
The results of the work carried out are planned to be used to develop strategic plans for the development of irrigated agriculture. The key objectives of the project include optimizing the consumption of water resources and increasing the efficiency of their use, increasing crop yields, reducing soil salinization and preventing land degradation. It is expected that the introduction of new data will also help improve the environmental situation in the region. The full completion of the project is scheduled for 2026.
Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Talgat Momyshev commented on the relevance of the study. According to him, more than 35% of irrigated areas of Kazakhstan are located in the Aral-Syrdarya basin, while there is a very high load on water resources, and the share of water intake for the needs of agriculture reaches 98%. He noted: “The currently practiced hydromodular zoning does not take into account the significant changes that have occurred over the past 40 years, climatic and soil conditions, as well as the land reclamation condition. In this regard, the issue of revising the existing boundaries and adjusting the existing irrigation regimes is relevant.”
Original (in Russian): Спутники помогут оптимизировать орошение земель в бассейне Сырдарьи
