From 17th to 21st of November of this year, a group of experts from the Centre for emergency situations and disaster risk reduction (Kazakhstan), with the coordination participation of specialists from the Ministry of environmental protection of Turkmenistan and other agencies, conducted the fourth stage of field research on the Amyderya river in Turkmenistan.
The expedition work was carried out within the framework of the project «Strengthening the capacity for safe management of transboundary water resources in Central Asia using innovative ICT».
A joint Turkmen-Kazakh team of specialists inspected an existing hydrographic station near the city of Kerki, where the project plans to install automated systems for near-real-time data transmission. The visual inspection and consultative discussions helped develop technical solutions, identify pilot sites for developing a transboundary hydrological monitoring system, and formulate recommendations for creating early warning mechanisms for specialists and the public.
During the final meeting, expedition participants noted that the Amyderya basin, characterised by floods and mudflows that primarily form in upstream mountainous areas, has destructive potential and can affect settlements in several countries in the region. In this regard, forecasters, hydrologists, and water management specialists, as well as rescuers who joined the discussions, focused on periods of intense snowmelt and precipitation, which form high-velocity flows in mudflow-prone ravines and riverbeds, improving water metering systems and hydrometeorological observations, and developing response systems.
