Влияние климата на средства к существованию в сельской местности

Central Asia is a region with limited water resources and population, for which agriculture remains the main source of livelihood. They rely heavily on irrigation with the help of mountain rivers.

Dr Maxim Kulikov, Research Fellow at UCA's Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI), presented the results of his research on the impact of climate on local communities in the Isfara River Basin at a conference on sustainable development in the Batken Oblast of the Kyrgyz Republic, organised by the United Nations Development Programme.

In 2020, UCA examined historical data on Isfara River runoff, temperature and precipitation in the river basin, as well as remotely sensed vegetation index (NDVI) data. In the course of the study, a series of interviews were conducted with residents of local communities.
The Isfara River is one of the three rivers of the Batken region and provides water to more than 40 villages in the Batken district of Kyrgyzstan and the Isfara district of Tajikistan. It is also very important for the lower reaches of the Sughd region of Tajikistan and the Fergana region of Uzbekistan.

The study identified environmental changes in the study area, which are due to climatic and economic factors and have a direct impact on residents and the local economy. Residents have intuitively adapted to earn income in a changing environment. However, the population is growing, which means that more efficient agricultural technologies are needed to create products with more added value to create new jobs.

The full text of UCA's research can be found here.

The Isfara River with orchards in the background.