Published
08/23/2024, 06:56Recently, there have been more and more alarming reports about mudslides in different regions of the country, which have resulted in the collapse of infrastructure, the population being left without housing and work, and even loss of life. Experts believe that the deterioration of the overall environmental situation is due to both natural factors and anthropogenic impact. Climate change, manifested by rising average temperatures, melting glaciers and more frequent extreme weather events, is having a serious impact on the country's fragile mountain ecosystem.
For example, the increasing frequency of mudflows and landslides has become a serious threat to settlements located in mountainous and foothill areas. Air pollution in major cities has led to a deterioration in the quality of life of residents. Problems with access to clean drinking water are also aggravated by shrinking glacial reserves and the pollution of water sources.
The problem of land degradation and biodiversity loss is no less acute. Deforestation, overgrazing and irrational use of natural resources threaten the unique flora and fauna of Kyrgyzstan.
Mudflows pose a serious threat to both the population and infrastructure, as well as to economic sectors, said Daurbek Sakiyev, director of the Department of Monitoring and Forecasting of Emergency Situations under the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations. He says the presence of mudflows is influenced by a number of factors. For example, geographical factors - 94% of our republic is mountainous territory, and this determines the formation of mudflows. Climatic factors also play a role - this year in the foothill and mountain zone there were a lot of localized, concentrated precipitation, which caused and formed mudflows of large volume, leading to flooding and destruction of infrastructure. He also adds that there is also a human factor in what is happening - buildings, bridges, crosswalks, which block the mudflows, creating congestion.
“We annually monitor the survey of hazardous areas and prepare forecasting materials. At the beginning of the year, they are transmitted to all local governments for preventive measures. The Ministry of Emergency Situations also issues monthly storm warnings based on data from Kyrgyzhydromet. We also give short-term forecasts, which indicate spatial areas where activation of dangerous processes may occur. In addition, the Ministry issues storm warnings that rock falls or rockslides, mudflows and landslides may occur. Currently, specialists of the Ministry and the Department are monitoring high-mountain lakes, of which there are more than 2 thousand in the republic. Of these, 368 pose a threat of a breakthrough,” — Daurbek Zhomartovich said.
When people talk about climate change in Kyrgyzstan, they usually mean that temperatures are rising and precipitation is decreasing. However, Olga Strizhantseva, PhD candidate in geography and head of the surface water resources laboratory at the Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the National Academy of Sciences, said this cliché is not always true. All the research weather stations we have in Kyrgyzstan, and there are more than 30 of them, show an increase in average annual air temperature. But air temperatures do not rise equally throughout the year. Over the past 30 years, the country has had warmer winters and the temperature of March has changed a lot, it has become warmer.
“The distribution of intra-annual temperature has a very strong influence on the formation of water flow in rivers. The increase in temperature in March has led to the fact that we have shifted seasons. There is also an increase in positive air temperatures. This indicates that our growing season has increased and the accumulation of heat during this period has become greater. There are positive aspects in this, especially for agriculture, it is possible to start sowing campaigns much earlier than usual,” — she said.
According to her, studies show that the precipitation regime does not practically change, only a slight increase in winter and spring periods is observed. In summer, on the contrary, there is a decrease in precipitation.
The winter has become warmer in the country, the accumulation of snow cover is decreasing, especially in the middle and low mountains, the melting of seasonal snows occurs already at the beginning of spring. Therefore, we, in the country, are losing water when sowing campaigns have not yet started in full swing.
Over the last 50-70 years, glaciation in Kyrgyzstan has decreased by 16%. The number of smaller glaciers has increased and the number of large glaciers has decreased. Plus the increase in temperature in the high mountain zone leads to the fact that more intensive melting of glaciers leads to the formation of glacial lakes or moraine lakes, which then pose a threat of mudflow hazard.
Reduced stability of snow cover leads to the fact that we may have one year warmer and there will be no snow, i.e. there will be less water, and in another year there will be, on the contrary, more. The increase in climate-related emergencies - mudslides, landslides, waterlogging - are all manifestations of climate change.
Nurzada Zholdoshova, a junior researcher at the Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the National Academy of Sciences, said glaciers are thawing intensively due to rising temperatures. As a result of their intensive thawing, glacial outburst lakes begin to form. The formation of high-altitude outburst lakes near populated areas poses a threat.
Ecologist, Director of the Tree of Life Center for Human Development, Green Alliance Board Member Kalia Moldogazieva noted that climate change began with the beginning of human activity. First of all, it is the use of fossil fuels - coal, oil, gas. Burning fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases, which contribute to the formation of a greenhouse over our planet. She also notes that switching to renewable energy sources will lower the temperature rise on the planet.
“We need to switch to renewable energy and then we can lower the temperature rise on the planet,” — she says.
Inna Brusenskaya, an air quality expert (data analyst) at MuvGreen, PhD in Geography, says their organization monitors air quality not only in Bishkek, but throughout Kyrgyzstan, particularly in major cities.
“We have three large major cities - Bishkek, Osh and Jalal-Abad. Monitoring of the last two years has shown that the problems of the capital are typical for all large cities as well. The first pressing problem, which can be clearly felt, is smog in winter time. Smog is defined by solid particles that are massively emitted into the air. Smog is associated with heating of houses with low-quality coal, as well as when the population heats houses with various garbage, garment industry waste, rubber tires. It would seem that in summer the problem of smog should be solved. But we have a second cause - motor transport. And this cause is characteristic all year round,” — says Inna Sergeevna.
She notes that on the basis of monitoring we can conclude that in large cities in winter there is an excess of particulate matter. This is typical for all winters since 2019, the excess is 3-4 times for Bishkek. If we take the data of Kyrgyzhydromet on air pollution, we have exceedances all year round for three very dangerous polluting gasses - nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde, the exceedances are quite high.
“Our Bishkek city landfill was included in the TOP-50 landfills of the world. We took satellite data for 4 years from 2019 to 2022 and, having analyzed methane emissions, we realized that our landfill emits a large amount of methane - this amount is higher than the average accepted world values. This amount from 2019 through 2022 has steadily increased. In addition, the impact of pollution from the landfill was traceable in the air for 4-5 km around. And this is satellite data! What then to speak about the surface layer of air? What do people who work and live near the dump breathe? We can say that pollution by particulate matter, gasses from the dump affects people's health. Our atmosphere is dynamic, so particles are transported and we are all affected. This polluted air we breathe increases the mortality rate of the population by increasing chronic diseases. There is also an increase in respiratory, lung and heart disease. As a rule, the most vulnerable segments of the population suffer - the elderly, children, people suffering from chronic diseases,” — she says.
Brusenskaya notes that one cannot talk about fighting rising temperatures while forgetting about fighting air pollution. These are two problems that are closely related to each other.
“Now an active campaign has started by the government and among the population that we need to fight for clean air. Kyrgyzstan ratified the Paris Agreement in 2019, which aims to prevent global temperatures from rising. How can we contribute to the fight against pollution? Start small: landfill reclamation, heating homes with safe fuel,” — the expert concludes.
Energy engineer on RES, energy auditor, expert on energy efficiency and energy saving in the building Rishat Kojonov said that in terms of greenhouse gas emissions in Kyrgyzstan, 60% is in the energy sector - this is energy consumption of fossil fuels, gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, 30% - in the agriculture sector, industry - about 5% and from landfills also about 5%.
If we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we should already focus on reducing the use of fossil fuels. And also work to spread the use of renewable energy sources - solar, wind, hydropower. About 90% of electricity generation in Kyrgyzstan takes place at our hydroelectric power plants and 10% at the Bishkek CHP plant. Therefore, by increasing electricity generation in Kyrgyzstan, we can reduce emissions in our country quite significantly.
He noted that Kyrgyzstan has made great strides in energy efficiency. A law was adopted on energy efficiency of buildings already at the commissioning stage, and the energy efficiency class in buildings should be no less than class “B”, so at the design stage a sufficient amount of heat insulating materials are laid down. All new facilities that are currently under construction are already undergoing energy certification at the project level.
