HYDROGEOLOGY OF KYRGYZSTAN-KAZAKHSTAN EXPLORATION FOR HYDROGEN-WATER MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Water scarcity is one of the global risks in arid and semi-arid regions such as Central Asia (CA), including Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan. The main rivers of Central Asia are transboundary, such as the Chu-Talas River basin, which is located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Natural and man-made factors such as climate change can lead to water crises and conflicts due to reduced water supplies and deteriorating water quality. Unfortunately, in Central Asia, surface water resources are mainly studied, and groundwater resources are excluded from open analytical analysis. At the same time, groundwater is a vital component of the river basin ecosystem and should be studied simultaneously with surface water to obtain a more complete analysis of the sustainability of the integrated surface-groundwater system of the basin. Combined scientific research of surface and groundwater, forecasting the water balance of basins is associated with great difficulties in transboundary cooperation of specialists from meteorologists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists of bordering states. Basically, cross-border negotiations are dominated by departmental management, more administrative management, without system planning, analysis of adaptation and preparation for natural processes, without stimulating the involvement of the local population, students of schools, colleges and universities in studying, conducting field water research, modeling surface water balances -groundwater of swimming pools. Local residents of the villages of the basins of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan need increased joint support for advanced training of the population, opportunities for adaptation to climate change in the school-college-industry-university chain. Joint hydrogeological studies of natural processes in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are poorly developed. Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan is missing out on opportunities for joint cooperation. In many countries there is now a “gold rush” of hydrogeological research and research on natural geological “white” hydrogen, including on the France-German border, where the world’s largest underground reserves of hydrogen have been discovered. It is important for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to strengthen cooperation with the creation of growth incentives, support for researchers, hydrogeologists, and strengthening of the Academies of Sciences of the two countries. This review presents opportunities for strengthening cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, including joint effective management of natural resources, studying the hydrogeology of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan for the effective joint use of hydrogen and water resources of the two countries.