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The objective of this paper is to explore the political implications of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Studies displayed that although these governments varied in their initial response to the pandemic, all three underwent a uniform experience as to its broader effect of amplified authoritarianism. The public health crisis was utilized as a pretext to consolidate autocratic power, suppress regime criticism, and restrict the political rights and freedoms of citizens. Of particular concern were implications on media and civil society organizational efforts, statuses of detainees, ethnic minority rights, and freedoms of assembly and speech. This paper is an in-depth case analysis that uses policy analysis and process tracing to examine the Central Asian countries' response to Covid-19 and its effects on human rights and political freedoms in the named countries. It concludes that despite the changes in leadership and relative progress towards democratization, authoritarian patterns ensued and changed form during the pandemic period in these Central Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the degree of digitalization of Academic Writing and Information Literacy (hereafter AW & IL) course in the countries of the post-Soviet era. Numerous research demonstrated that digital transformation has taken place toward the teaching of AW & IL in most of the developed countries and beyond, yet little is studied about the digitalization in countries of the former Soviet Union that have passed a long way to align their education with the globe. Keeping up with the four main categories of digitalization, the paper will look at its application as a part of curriculum development, assessment, students' competency, and university maintenance. The paper employs a phenomenological approach confirmed through the qualitative analysis of 18 in-depth interviews conducted with AW & IL instructors from nine countries. The study revealed that recently AW & IL course has moved through partial digitalization, providing that the university stakeholders do not exert any necessary support.

The Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) action from European Union is one of the means that support through international cooperation projects, the modernization and responsiveness of third countries’ Higher Education Institutes and third parties active in the field of Education, in recent trends and in various industrial sectors. The REILEAP project (Reinforcing Capacities in HEIs for Leather and Leather Products in Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan) is such an action focused on leather and leather products. Its main aim is to support the modernization of the leather and leather products industry in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, through the establishment of four Leather Products Centers (two in Uzbekistan and two in Kazakhstan) which will strengthen and enhance modernization, innovation and competitiveness of the Leather Sector in the two countries by offering quality testing, product certification, specialized training, fashion trends, modern design, production organization, and funding opportunities. The 4 centers will be created in the HEIs from the two countries participating in the project. Staff and students from these HEIs will be trained in the European HEIs participants. The project is in its second year and the paper reviews its progress in terms of market needs, macro and microstructure of the training activities, and the performed and planned promotion and sustainability activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soviet higher education had a distinctive institutional landscape. It combined two institutional types in a uniform model that embedded higher education in the national economy. This paper focuses on the post-Soviet system-level changes in the institutional landscape in all 15 countries of the former USSR. It shows that over last three decades the Soviet two-type institutional model evolved into a three-type model, with the specialized university as a new institutional type. Highlighting the instruments of horizontal and vertical differentiation for each country, the paper explains how structural reforms and market forces led to the rise of the university/multiversity form of institution, and the strengthening of vertical stratification at system level. The comparative analysis shows that there have been different patterns of transformation in the 15 countries, shaped by unique combinations of structural reforms and marketization policies, with certain countries having made more distinctive steps away from the Soviet institutional model. There are now 15 formally different systems of higher education which poses further questions for comparative analysis.

This paper explores the state of minority rights in the three Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. These countries share a lot of similarities in terms of their post-Soviet authoritarian legacy and weakness of democratic institutions. The repressive political landscapes of the Central Asian states have taken their tolls on minority groups, leaving them discriminated against, mistreated, and severely disadvantaged. Minority rights violations range from ethnic and religious discrimination to state-sponsored homophobia. Even though the leadership changes have positively affected the state of human rights in the three countries, there is still a slow pace of reforms. Overall, domestic changes in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan have not yielded considerable results so far in terms of alleviating the plight of minority groups across these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the research, 14 species of coin-winged entomophagous insects, 6 species of Ichneumonoidea, 5 species of Braconidae, 3 species of Thrichogrammatidae, 6 species of Chrysopidae and 8 species of Coccinellidae were found in the ecosystem of southern Uzbekistan. These species were experimentally tested. To study the species composition of the entomophages of the apple moth, various observation methods and accountings were used. To collect caterpillars and pupae of the pest, trapping belts, that are fixed at a height of 35-60 cm from the ground made of corrugated paper or burlap, were widely used. The collected objects were brought up in large test tubes and in 0.5 liter jars. The species belonging of the isolated parasites and the collected predators was established according to the identification keys and from the leading specialists of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of a newly developed draft agreement on the allocation of water and energy resources of the Syr Darya basin considering transboundary cooperation and benefits sharing. The method uses a river basin model and game theoretic concepts to assess the potential benefits to the four riparian countries, under various arrangements of cooperation, ranging from independent action to full cooperation as envisioned in the draft agreement. The analysis shows increased benefits to all countries in the basin if they follow the four-country cooperative arrangements outlined in the draft agreement. Different methods for allocating the benefits of cooperation are considered. The Shapely allocation provides each country with increased economic benefits and is stable in relation to each country's likelihood of treaty compliance. Other methods to allocate of the gains are considered, such as proportional shares, equal shares, the Nucleolus, and Nash-Harsayni, which all result in allocations that are more likely to be violated and are less stable than the Shapley allocation. The analysis indicates the upstream country of Kyrgyzstan can be encouraged to participate in and comply with the agreement through additional compensatory payments; however, if their conditions are not right, they may be prone to noncompliance and disruption of the treaty. The concepts illustrated in this paper can be used as the basis for analyzing benefits sharing and cooperation in other transboundary basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though well-positioned geographically to benefit from China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, Central Asia nevertheless suffers from a fragile ecological environment. Therefore, it is crucially important for the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to achieve sustainable development of their respective social economies and ecological environments through the evaluation of their ecological security. This paper applies the modified emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model to optimize the traditional ecological footprint model by analyzing and evaluating the ecological security of Central Asia during the time frame of 1992–2014. The paper will also use the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to forecast changes which might occur during 2020–2025. The results indicate that the EEF mainly decreased from 1992 to 1998 but then gradually increased from 1999 onwards, with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan showing the largest change rates of 3.93% and 2.77%, respectively, from 1999 to 2014. The highest EEF occurred in Turkmenistan (20.27 hm2/cap), followed by Kazakhstan (19.19 hm2/cap), with Tajikistan registering the lowest (2.96 hm2/cap). In Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, fossil energy consumption footprints contributed the most to total EEFs, at 38.34%, 57.06% and 46.52%, respectively, while grassland (51.52%) and building land (50.49%) contributed the most to Kyrgyzstan's and Tajikistan's total EEFs, respectively. The emergy ecological carrying capacity (EEC) largely decreased in all five Central Asian countries, with the largest decrease occurring in Turkmenistan at annual average change rates of −1.93%. The highest EEC was in Kazakhstan (30.36 hm2/cap), followed by Turkmenistan (15.85 hm2/cap), while the lowest occurred in Uzbekistan (2.86 hm2/cap). Additionally, during the period under study, the ecological surpluses and deficits in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were 11.18, 2.21, 2.04, −4.42 and −7.57 hm2/cap, respectively, with the largest ecological deficit occurring in Uzbekistan. There was also a persistent rise in ecological pressure in all five countries, especially in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Furthermore, the ARIMA model forecasts that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will change from ecological surpluses to ecological deficits from 2020 onwards, and that the ecological pressure grades for these countries will rise to level 3 (relatively unsafe). Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are forecast to be at level 1 (at risk). The significance of this research is optimizing the ecological footprint model and applying it in Central Asia for the first time. The work also quantitatively investigates Central Asia's ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity on both a national and regional basis and evaluates the ecological security of each country. Overall, this research not only provides guidance for decision-makers to develop sustainable strategies in Central Asia, but also serves as a scientific reference for other arid regions to pursue ecological security and sustainable development. • Applied the improved emergy ecological footprint model to quantitatively research the EEF and EEC of Central Asia. • The EEF mainly decreased from 1992 to 1998, but greatly increased after 1999; the EEC decreased during 1992-2014. • Fossil energy consumption footprints contributed most to total EEFs in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. • Ecological tension indexes increase, the larger ecological pressures are in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. • Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will change from ecological surpluses to ecological deficits from 2020 onwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across Eurasia, authoritarian leaders have sought to justify their ‘strong-hand’ approach to government by framing instability as a security threat and the strong state as a guarantor of political stability. Such ‘regimes of certainty’ promote a modernist valorization of order, the flip side of which is a demonization of political disorder instability, or mere uncertainty. Examining the spatial and temporal imaginaries underpinning such narratives about in/stability in Central Asia, this paper compares official discourse in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where state-controlled media and official publications have stigmatized political instability in Kyrgyzstan as indicative of the dangers of political liberalization and a weak state. Ostensibly about the ‘other’, these narratives are also about scripting the ‘self’. I argue that official interpretations of ‘disorder over the border’ in Kyrgyzstan are underpinned by a set of spatial and temporal imaginaries that do not merely reflect regional moral geographies, but actively construct them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this study is to observe prospective teachers' cognitive structures related to Turkish World. In this scanning model study, WAT (Word Association Test) had been applied to 332 prospective teachers in Nigde Ömer Halisdemir University. And they were asked to write what comes into their heads when it is said Turkish Republics and Turkish World. Words were given to the prospective teachers. According to the research, "Turk" is the only common Word which is related to the concept of six independent Turkish Republics and Turkish World. There is no any other common word except this, perceived by prospective teachers. Students generally independent Turkish Republic and Turkey they do not have a lot of information and perceptions about the world; they know the general concept of popular culture, it said they did not know specific concepts or people belonging to the country. Independent of the Turkish states K.K.T.C. It has become the most irrelevant and disconnected with other countries. K.K.T.C. with the only common link between other countries "Turkey" was the word. Students are most perceptive grasp of Azerbaijan, while country-owned; they have been gripping the country at least perceptually Uzbekistan. [This article was presented at the 3rd International Dynamic, Exploratory and Active Learning Conference (IDEAL 2016).]

In this day and age, there are increasing discussions and calls for shifting towards inclusive education. In view of this, the present study intended to identify the most severe challenges disabled engineering students face according to their own view and find possible ways to solve them. For this particular aim, a survey of 555 students from five universities of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan was performed. These were the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Northern Trans-Ural State Agricultural University, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan State University, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, and South Ural State University. The survey was carried out in two stages. The first focused on identifying the main problems of disabled students (physical environment, staff skills and knowledge, theory-practice relationship, assessment peculiarities, and bias). The second intended to define the most critical of them (unadapted physical environment and reduced abilities to apply theoretical knowledge in practice). To resolve these issues, the authors propose the following recommendations to be adopted. These include adapted laboratories and equipment; programs that allow performing practical tasks; engineering tutors able to assist in performing practical tasks; an adapted assessment system with reference to health condition; psychological support to integrate disabled students into an inclusive team and eliminate prejudices. The obtained research findings can be used by other universities to promote a comprehensive integration of students with special needs into the educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very little is known about the status of autism research in Central Asia. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the scope and focus of the peer-reviewed research studies conducted with autistic people and their families in five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The electronic databases of EBSCO Host and Web of Science were used for systematic search of literature. Eleven articles that met eligibility criteria were included in the review and analyzed for topics and research areas outlined in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan. Ten of these studies were conducted in Kazakhstan and one in Uzbekistan using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research designs. Five of the seven research areas—Diagnosis, Biology, Risk Factors, Services, and Treatment and Interventions—were represented in these studies, while there were no studies identified in the areas of Lifespan Issues or Infrastructure and Surveillance, highlighting a gap in research. None of the studies reported co-authorship of scientists from Central Asian countries. The review identified knowledge gaps and research needs to guide future research in autism in Central Asia to address the needs of autistic individuals and their families living in this region. Very little is known about the status of autism research in Central Asia. Through the library databases, we identified and reviewed 11 scientific studies conducted with autistic people and their families in five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Of the 11 studies, 10 were conducted in Kazakhstan and 1 in Uzbekistan. Within these limited number of research studies, different topics such as diagnosis, risk factors of autism, biology, and various service and intervention areas were addressed. We identified several knowledge gaps and research priorities to address the needs of autistic people, their families, and professionals in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Asian states have recently implemented significant constitutional reforms. In the case of the authoritarian republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the nature of the constitutional amendments, introduced in 2022 and 2023, respectively, is hard to accurately assess. On the one hand, they are a step towards democratization and strengthened guarantees of human rights and freedoms; on the other, they reinforce the current undemocratic government mechanisms. This article discusses the most recent constitutional reforms in both countries, distinguishing three main areas of change: ideology, social issues, and governance mechanisms. It is argued that these reforms generally fall within the paradigm of authoritarian constitutionalism and are an adjustment of the countries' constitutions to the current needs of their undemocratic presidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Disciplines Economics & Administrative Scienves Studies is the property of International Journal of Disciplines in Economics & Administrative Sciences Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

After the Soviet collapse, the newly independent states of Central Asia found themselves in the process of forming their own national “imagined communities.” This was done to legitimize their existing territorial integrity, their rights to their titular ethnicities, and the position of political elites. This process expressed itself through the creation of particular symbols, myths, and rituals which distinguished the nation but were also used to legitimize the nation's right to exist. The symbolic and ideological construction was influenced by the former Soviet era. For example, symbolically the country was still called Rodina (motherland), but most of the symbols of power were represented by male images, for example, Amir Timur in Uzbekistan or Ablay Khan in Kazakhstan. The tradition of representing power through a male connotation had a long history in Soviet Central Asia. Interestingly, however, some contemporary artists took an alternative view and used feminine images as strong, central symbols of their interpretation of national identity, contesting the official view of nation-building. This paper seeks to trace the development of the feminine and masculine dichotomy of representation by comparing official iconography with works of famous female artists such as Umida Akhmedova from Uzbekistan and Saule Suleimenova and Almagul Menlibayeva from Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has presented extreme challenges to developing countries across the world. The aim of this paper was to provide estimates for current development COVID-19 pandemic in the Post-Soviet states and forecast potential best and worst scenarios for spread of this deadly infection. Methods: The data on COVID-19 cases extracted from official governmental sources until April 18, 2020. A modified SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered) modelling was used to plot the pandemic outbreak in 10 Post-Soviet states and forecasting over the period of 10, 30 and 60 days. The optimal measures (best-scenario) and suboptimal measures (worst-scenarios) of potential spread of COVID-19 in these countries were estimated. Results: It was estimated that Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached their peaks, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Uzbekistan are expected to reach their peaks in the early May-2020), with comparatively low cases of COVID-19 in the best-case scenario. In contrast, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine would likely see the outbreaks with the largest number of COVID-19 cases amongst the studied Post-Soviet States in the worst-scenario during the next 30 and 60 days. Conclusion: Governmental response was shown to be as an important determining factor responsible for the development of COVID-19 epidemic in Post-Soviet states. The current protection rates should be maintained to reduce active cases during upcoming 30 and 60 days. The estimated possible scenarios based on the proposed model can potentially be used by healthcare professionals from each studied Post-Soviet States as well as others to improve plans to contain the current and future epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Asia currently has the world's largest arid and semi-arid zones, so a timely assessment of future droughts in the Asian drylands is prudent, particularly in the context of recent frequent sandstorms. This paper assesses the duration, frequency, and intensity of drought events in the Asian drylands based on nine climate models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). The results show that a high percentage of land area is experiencing significant drought intensification of 65.1%, 89.9%, and 99.8% under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP)126, SSP245, and SSP585 scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, the data indicate that future droughts will become less frequent but longer in duration and more intense, with even more severe future droughts predicted for northwest China and western parts of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Drought durations of 10.8 months and 13.4 months are anticipated for the future periods of 2021–2060 and 2061–2100, respectively, compared to the duration of 6.6 months for the historical period (1960–2000). Meanwhile, drought intensity is expected to reach 0.97 and 1.37, respectively, for future events compared to 1.66 for the historical period. However, drought severity under SSP245 will be weaker than that under SSP126 due to the mitigating effect of precipitation. The results of this study can provide a basis for the development of adaptation measures in Asian dryland nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the association between discrepancies in land rights and actual practices on the one hand and farmers' intentions to increase agricultural production on the other hand. We use farm-level data collected during a survey conducted in 2019 in southern Kazakhstan and eastern Uzbekistan and compare perceptions with land legislations of both countries. Comparative analysis of tenure conditions revealed that Kazakh farmers are less restricted in land use than Uzbek farmers. Moreover, insufficient law enforcement allows Kazakh farmers to violate existing restrictions on land transferability. Uzbek farmers tend to underuse their rights in such crucial issues as income generating and withdrawal of products from the land; the reason lies in inconsistency between land code and supplementary decrees for strategic crops. Our empirical findings show that mismatches between land rights on paper and perceived land rights − that might be the violation of law restrictions or incomplete use of land rights − generally reduces farmers' willingness to increase production. • Weak law enforcement enables Kazakh farmers to violate restrictions in land use. • Contradictory land legislation in Uzbekistan impedes farmers' use of all their rights to land. • Documented discrepancies between land rights and actual farming practices may often be associated with tenure insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Central Asia''s Aral Sea crisis represents a disaster of monumental proportions, a tragedy for both the region''s ecology and its human inhabitants. While the human and natural environments had operated in a sustainable co-joined system for millennia, Tsarist Russian expansion into Central Asia, followed by Soviet expansion of both the cotton industry and unsustainable irrigation practices to anchor it spelled doom for the Aral Sea. Today, many of the political and economic stimuli for such misguided practices continue, as do the continued retreat of the Sea and the proliferation of poor human health. The Aral Sea crisis has received ample scholarly attention, though somewhat surprising is a relative dearth of research explicitly investigating the nature, variety, and directionality of nature–society linkages today within the region. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the contemporary nature–society linkages operating within the Aral Sea region of Central Asia. Historical nexuses will provide necessary background, and the linkages operating currently within the spheres of regional economy, human health, and political considerations will be detailed. Couching the current crisis within the framework of coupled human–environment system contexts reveals a region in which these linkages are largely inextricable. This paper concludes with a call for a reconsideration of the nature-society linkages and a greater emphasis placed on the local region''s ecological and social sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the geographical aspects of hydro-politics, considering cases at various freshwater areas such as Tigris-Euphrates river, Nile River, and Aral Sea basins. It mentions several features of water being a source of rivalry among countries such as mismanagement, water dispute, and political and historical issues. It states that the Tigris-Euphrates Basin crosses various riparian areas such as Turkey, Syria and Iraq, which has created a complex political dynamic.

This article explores the cooperation after independence on four Central Asian transboundary rivers. The paper shows that, even though the Central Asian states agreed in 1992 to continue with the basic water-sharing principles, new agreements had to be made. New agreements were only made in basins with large-scale water-control infrastructure, which have transboundary significance or are transboundary themselves. The inequitable water allocation between the riparian states has continued and has not triggered new agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we offer a negotiation and cooperative game theory application to international water in the classroom. A simulation game was developed for the Aral Sea water dispute as part of a textbook prepared for teaching a diverse group of students a graduate-level International Water course. A condensed version of the Aral Sea Basin water dispute and hydrology was prepared. The game allows students to realize the complexity of hydrology and geography, the linkage between hydrology and conflict and cooperation, and the impact of external factors, such as climate change, on the extent of the conflict and its likely resolution. The game was used to simulate negotiations between a subset of the basin riparians, demonstrating the value of information in negotiation. Various cooperative game theory concepts were demonstrated and applied by students through a set of assignments representing a variety of likely states of nature and various development interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aral Sea has shrunk and become a large salt pan, because the water from the two rivers that used to feed the lake (Amu Darya and Syr Darya) is almost entirely used for irrigation. In this paper some possibilities to return to the original (1960) situation are studied. After discussing some of the alternatives, it is proposed to construct a canal along a more southerly route than the original Sibaral canal, starting from the Zaisan Lake along the Irtysh river. This solution requires the construction of a major tunnel through the Khrebet Tarbagataj mountain range. Thereafter, it will flow through the Balkash Lake, saving several hundred kilometers of canal construction, and discharge its water in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya. From here it will flow into Aral Sea, slowly restoring it towards its original (1960) level. Several flanking water saving measures are considered. Most of the drive to restore the Aral Sea is for ecological reasons. There may also be a serious climatic threat to avoid, although this is a matter of debate. It is found that the discharge of the major Siberian rivers into the Arctic Ocean is on the increase, and this may affect the great world ocean conveyor belt. This would have dire consequences for the climate inWestern and Northern Europe. This could be avoided by diverting part of the water towards the Aral Sea. A restoration of the Aral Sea will have beneficial effects on climate, human health, fishery and ecology in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union was the world's largest hydrocarbon producer. The landmass over which these resources are distributed is vast and the reserves mostly landlocked. To convey these hydrocarbons to refineries and to market, the Soviets constructed the largest integrated pipeline networks in the world. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, new competing national interests have produced tensions over these energy resources and transmission corridors, with economically detrimental and often irrational consequences. In Central Asia, the post-Soviet Republics of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan produce significant amounts of hydrocarbons and export their oil and gas to or through Russian Federation territory. Russian government policy aims to continue exercising political control over these resources and to maximize Moscow's share of profits from their export. This paper examines oil and gas transmission issues in Central Asia, against a backdrop of emerging new relationships between the Russian Federation and the three post-Soviet republics, the resurgent strategic competition between Russia and the United States, China's developing power base in the region and Iran's potentially key geographic position for channelling Caspian energy supplies towards the Persian Gulf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thesis of this article is quite different from many other theses of papers, books, and articles on the Aral Sea. It is meant to purposely highlight the reality of the situation in Central Asia: the Aral Sea that was once a thriving body of water is no more. That sea is dead. What does exist in its place are the Aral seas: there are in essence three bodies of water, one of which is being purposefully restored and its level is rising (the Little Aral), and two others which are still marginally connected, although they continue to decline in level (the Big Aral West and the Big Aral East). In 1960 the level of the sea was about 53 m above sea level. By 2006 the level had dropped by 23 m to 30 m above sea level. This was not a scenario generated by a computer model. It was a process of environmental degradation played out in real life in a matter of a few decades, primarily as a result of human activities. Despite wishes and words to the contrary, it will take a heroic global effort to save what remains of the Big Aral. It would also take a significant degree of sacrifice by people and governments in the region to restore the Big Aral to an acceptable level, given that the annual rate of low reaching the Amudarya River delta is less than a 10th of what it was several decades ago. Conferring World Heritage status to the Aral Sea(s) could spark restoration efforts for the Big Aral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The governments of the Aral Sea Basin countries, in cooperation with international organizations (UNESCO and World Bank) came up with a ‘water vision ’for the region until 2025. The landlocked Aral Sea has been suffering from an imbalance in water evaporation, and, water inflow from its two main sources — Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, when the planners in the former Soviet Union from the 1960s diverted the river waters for irrigation. The irrigated area has increased from the 1960s by two-thirds to 7 million hectares and the population by three-fold to 50 million in the basin countries. Consequently the inflow to the Aral Sea from these two rivers decreased from 55 km3 in 1960 to a few km3 during the 1980s and 1990s. This has resulted in one of the worst man-made ecological disasters of the century. In this paper, we examine different scenarios to achieve the vision goals and whether it is indeed feasible. Using IWMI basin-oriented water accounting principles, we have shown that significant amount of water is being wasted in the region. Our analysis concludes that though not all the vision goals are likely to be met over the next 25 years, the inflow into the Aral Sea can be increased to over 20 km3 through better management and use of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The main objective of this paper is the presentation of water scarcity and water quality problems of fishery and fishermen in the southern Aral Sea region Kazakhstan. We tried in the past to inform interested people about our suggestions how to rehabilitate the situation, how to produce relatively enough fish for the functioning of local fish processing industry and to give people jobs, but we were unable so far to convince decision makers about innovations needed. It is essential therefore to reiterate some of the well-known problems of the region, called the Aral Sea crisis, but we concentrate mostly on the problems for the fishermen. While we do this, we understand, however, that the problem requires solution within the concept of a socioeconomic sustainable development for which we suggest the development of a decision support system based upon a computer simulation model providing optimal solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, Kazakhstan has become an important destination for primarily undocumented seasonal workers from Uzbekistan. In a context of high tuberculosis (TB) incidence, TB treatment is provided free for all residents in Kazakhstan, but migrants rarely access these services. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study conducted with migrants, TB patients and health care workers between July and September 2008 to understand the mechanisms that impede migrants’ access to care. Findings describe three structural contexts – the employment, legal and health care contexts – which act in concert to render migrants vulnerable to exploitative work conditions and cause a series of barriers to health care. These conditions contribute to increased exposure to TB, heightened risk of reactivation due to weakened immunity, treatment-seeking delays, and increased severity of disease. Seasonal migration patterns also contribute to treatment interruption, which constitutes a risk for the creation of drug resistance. Using the theory of structural violence coupled with the concept of cumulative vulnerability, this paper analyzes how illegality interacts with exploitation and social marginalization to produce vulnerability to TB and restrict access to treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper aims to explore the significant role played by Eurasianism both as a philosophy and as a political project in three Central Asian republics. Debates of political elites and intellectuals in Kazakhstan. Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan over their countries' models of development and policy of regional integration is the focus of this research. This paper tries to clarify the meaning of Eurasianism by comparing it to similar ideologies and ideas such as Asianism. Similarities between Chinese or Japanese Asianism with Russian Euraisianism on the one hand, and the similarities between Korean and Uzbek reactions to these dominant nations' integrationist ideas are highlighted. It is argued that dominant nation Eurasianism (i.e. Russian) is significantly different than the non-dominant nations'case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that during the "perestroika" period the institutionalised context of the Soviet higher education governance was transformed dramatically, and has attempted to explain the outcomes for higher education from the "perestroika" period and proposed the theory of "institutional dis/continuities". The theory employs elements of historical institutionalism in the explanation of higher education governance changes during the Soviet and post-Soviet periods in the countries under review, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan. Historical institutionalism addresses the institutional changes in historical development. The changes are explained by "critical junctures". Therefore, the "perestroika" period is seen as a critical juncture in this paper. They may be caused by times of great uncertainty. The changes were dramatic in spite of the short timeframe. This critical juncture period is identifiable subject to a reference to the Soviet period.

Central Asia exports large amounts of virtual water through agricultural trade, a key factor for overexploitation of water resources in the region. Most studies analyze Central Asia's virtual water outflows to the outside world, while ignore the agricultural trade within the region and the varying impacts of virtual water flows on the individual countries. In this study, the changes in virtual water flows embedded in trade with outside regions (external) and Central Asia countries (internal) were analyzed for the period 2000–2018 for wheat, cotton, and livestock. The results show that while Central Asia exported, respectively, 194.3 and 101.8 km3 of virtual water to the outside world through cotton and wheat trade, it imported 53.7 km3 of virtual water via livestock trade. Also, while cotton‐based virtual water outflows decreased, wheat‐based virtual water outflows increased. Total virtual water flows in internal trade reached 71.2 km3, with flow originating mainly from Kazakhstan and heading to other four countries through wheat trade.Kazakhstan was the largest net exporter of virtual water through wheat trade, Uzbekistan was the second‐largest net exporter through cotton trade. Green water (precipitation water used by crops) was dominant in virtual water flow related to wheat and blue water (surface water or groundwater used by crops) was dominant in virtual water flow related to cotton. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were most directly influenced by the virtual water trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests that the different and sometimes contradictory public narratives of perestroika constitute an essential part of understanding the expectations of people regarding perestroika and their evaluation in the post-perestroika years. These narratives also underline the notion that post-Soviet governments have been unable to consolidate new constructs of memory with respect to perestroika. Historical construction regarding the pre-perestroika years of the Soviet administration in most of the post-Soviet Central Asian (CA) countries is conducted along the ideological lines associated with the post–independence years in each of the republics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the genetic polymorphism of 27 Y-STR in Kazakhs of the Junior Zhuz has been presented and analyzed in relation to forensic features. A total of 464 representatives of the Western Kazakh tribes of Kazakhstan (Western Kazakhs, n = 405) and Uzbekistan (Karakalpakstan Kazakhs, n = 59) were examined by the Yfiler Plus set. The data are available in the YHRD under accession numbers YA006010 and YA006009. Genetic analysis (AMOVA and MDS) did not show significant differences between the two groups (Kazakhstan and Karakalpakstan Kazakhs) in terms of Y-chromosome diversity. Both groups are characterized by haplogroup C2a1a2 as a founder effect, which dominated two of the three tribes: Alimuly (67%), Baiuly (74.6%), and Zhetiru (25.8%). At the same time, the phylogenetic network for each tribe found its own clusters within C2a1a2. Western Kazakhs and Karakalpakstan Kazakhs present high values of unique haplotypes (84.44% and 96.61%), discrimination capacity (90.37% and 98.30%), and haplotype diversity (0.9991 and 0.9994). A set of 27 Y-STR loci distinguishes closely related individuals within the Western Kazakh tribes quite well. It is suitable for forensic application, and is also optimal for population genetics studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy security is an important issue locally and globally. Likewise, the most recent technological developments concern the sustainability and environmental impact of nonrenewable energy. Thus, most countries' concern has increased in new and renewable energy sources for generating electricity to reduce the consumption of nonrenewable energy. The central Asian region (CAR) is one of the most regions that contain much more energy. In this way, it is one of the primary exporters of energy for the global market. The Central Asian area contains around 5.5% of the world's hydro potential. Furthermore, over 20% of the world's investigated uranium is in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Natural gas is the most consumed resource in the CAR countries, 75% of which is consumed in Uzbekistan, and the second place, consumed by the CAR countries, goes to coal, where 93% of its stores are consumed in Kazakhstan. The countries that produce most of the oil in Central Asia are Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan provides 1.2 billion metric tons of oil and Uzbekistan provides up to 730 million barrels of oil. Kyrgyzstan has great potential for using renewable energy, including, solar energy, hydropower, and biomass. Thus, utilizing renewable energy for Kyrgyzstan must be addressed as a solution for population growth and socioeconomic problems in the future. Finally, the presence of energy is generating interest. However, the construction of pipelines is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualitative and quantitative composition of fruit extracts of 23 forms of 7 barberry species (Berberis amurensis, B. heteropoda, B. iliensis, B. integerrima, B. oblonga, B. sibirica and B. thunbergii) collected on the territory of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan has been studied. The extracts were obtained by adding 70% ethanol to the crushed fruits in a ratio of 1:5 (raw material-reagent) and subsequent separation with organic solvents, namely n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate. Chromatographic analysis was conducted on Agilent 7890 A GC gas chromatography with Agilent 5975 inert MSD quadrupole mass spectrometer as a detector. The number of components found in the fruits of the 7 barberry species studied varies from 10 to 61. The identified components belong to various classes of chemical compounds as fatty acids, fatty acid esters, alkanes, alkenes, alkadienes, aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes, fatty alcohols, phenols, triterpenoids, ketones, and silicones. Squalene, phylloquinone, pyridine-3-carboxymidamide and propanamide were also found in all the samples studied, except B. oblonga. Also, in the all investigated Berberis species free monosaccharides as glucose, galactose, xylose and arabinose were found. The obtained information on the component composition of barberry can be used for the production of new medicines of a wide spectrum of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, non-homogeneous Poisson processes (NHPP) are used to analyze climate data. The data were collected over a certain period time and consist of the yearly average precipitation, yearly average temperature and yearly average maximum temperature for some regions of the world. Different existing parametric forms depending on time and on unknown parameters are assumed for the intensity/rate function λ (t) , t ≥ 0 of the NHPP. In the present context, the Poisson events of interest are the numbers of years that a climate variable measurement has exceeded a given threshold of interest. The threshold corresponds to the overall average measurements of each climate variable taking into account here. Two versions of the NHPP model are considered in the study, one version without including change points and one version including a change point. The parameters included in the model are estimated under a Bayesian approach using standard Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods such as the Gibbs sampling and Metropolis–Hastings algorithms. The models are applied to climate data from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in Central Asia and from the USA obtained over several years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article examines how social capital influences subjective well-being (SWB) in three Central Asian states—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Based on data from the WVS (Wave 6), it finds that social capital is an important predictor of subjective well-being in the three countries. Trust has a positive impact on SWB in Kyrgyzstan, while social norms are predictors of life satisfaction in Kazakhstan. Finally, social participation has a positive influence on SWB in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducted an extensive review and evaluation of torsional design methods specified in SNiP and other international building codes. Unlike thin‐walled tube approach utilized as a key basis of design expressions in ACI 318, CSA, and Eurocode 2, skew‐bending theory is still adopted as torsional design methods specified in SNiP code used through Eurasia region. This comparative study is timely required since there are radical code changes in leading Eurasia countries, such as Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, toward Eurocode from SNiP code. To this end, a total of 253 reinforced concrete (RC) specimens that failed in pure torsion were collected from the literature to compare the analytical accuracy of the torsional design methods specified in various design codes. It was found that the torsional design methods specified in SNiP and CSA codes can estimate the torsional strengths of RC members with good level of accuracy, while Eurocode 2 provided quite conservative results. In addition, the maximum limitations stipulated in each design code on the compressive strength of concrete and yield strength of reinforcements are of importance for the safe and efficient torsional design due to interrelation between reinforcement ratios considering materials strengths and inclination angle of compressive concrete strut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we describe previously unpublished trionychid turtle material, consisting of numerous shell fragments, from the Late Cretaceous (late Turonian) Bissekty Formation of the Dzharakuduk locality in Uzbekistan. This material is assigned to two shell-based taxa: Aspideretoides cf. riabinini and “Trionyx” cf. kansaiensis. The material which cannot be confidently attributed to these two taxa is identified as Trionychidae indet. In addition to these shell-based trionychid taxa, the Dzharakuduk turtle assemblage includes two skull-based taxa of trionychids (Khunnuchelys kizylkumensis and Trionychini indet.). The trionychids from the Bissekty Formation are most similar to trionychids from the younger (Santonian – early Campanian) Bostobe Formation of Kazakhstan, represented by three shell-based taxa (Aspideretoides riabinini, Paleotrionyx riabinini and “Trionyx”kansaiensis), and one skull-based taxon (Khunnuchelys sp.). We provide an improved understanding of the subtle similarities and differences between four closely related Cretaceous turtle assemblages of Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]