Environment and Post-Soviet Transformation in Kazakhstan’s Aral Sea Region

Wheeler, William

doi:10.2307/j.ctv1kz4ggd

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…Fisheries in Kazakhstan achieved their greatest development during the Soviet era, but they also faced chronic challenges, none of which escaped the attention of Moscow. The once-dominant Volga-Caspian fisheries were reduced to insignificance by the 1960s (Figure 3) and those on the Aral Sea ceased operation in the late 1970s [67]. Dams were constructed to impound rivers and generate hydroelectric power, even though it was clear that their hydrological effects would damage fish habitats and interfere with fisheries [68][69][70].…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Soviet Fisheries Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dams were constructed to impound rivers and generate hydroelectric power, even though it was clear that their hydrological effects would damage fish habitats and interfere with fisheries [68][69][70]. Pollution of waters used for fisheries was tolerated [67,71], and introduced species intended to bolster fisheries [72][73][74] often disturbed fish populations without delivering the intended benefits [33,45,72,75]. Uncontrolled overfishing greatly exacerbated these problems [76].…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Soviet Fisheries Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Concurrent steps were also taken to effectively manage the Republic's water resources [22,105]. Neglect and marginalization of the sector by the state [19,20] The public views fisheries as unattractive Lack of research and data collection [21,22] Policies become disconnected from science Policy flux and lack of transparency [11,67,101] Policies not respected…”

Section: Adjustments Following Independencementioning

confidence: 99%

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The Changing Dynamics of Kazakhstan’s Fisheries Sector: From the Early Soviet Era to the Twenty-First Century

Graham

Pueppke

Nurtazin

et al. 2022

Water

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Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic that is now independent, lies near the center of arid Eurasia. Its sparse hydrographic network includes a small number of large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, many ponds and smaller streams, as well as littoral zones bordering the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. A diverse fisheries sector, initially based on wild fish capture and later including aquaculture, developed in these waters during the Soviet era, when animal agriculture was unable to meet the protein needs of Soviet citizens. The sector, which was originally centered on the Volga–Caspian basin, was tightly managed by Moscow and benefitted from coordinated investments in research, infrastructure, and human resources, as well as policies to increase the consumption of fish products. Independence in 1991 administered a political and economic shock that disrupted these relationships. Kazakhstan’s wild fish harvests plummeted by more than two-thirds, and aquaculture collapsed to just 3% of its previous level. Per capita consumption of fish products also declined, as did processing capacity. Favorable recent policies to define fishing rights, incentivize investments, prevent illegal fishing, and make stocking more effective have helped to reverse these trends and stabilize the sector. Continued recovery will require additional steps to manage water resources sustainably, prioritize the use of water for fish habitats, and minimize the effects of climate change. This comprehensive assessment of Kazakhstan’s fisheries sector over the past century provides the basis to understand how long-term dynamic interactions of the environment with the political economy influence fisheries in Eurasia’s largest country.

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Section: Characteristics Of the Soviet Fisheries Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Characteristics Of the Soviet Fisheries Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Adjustments Following Independencementioning

confidence: 99%

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The Changing Dynamics of Kazakhstan’s Fisheries Sector: From the Early Soviet Era to the Twenty-First Century

Graham

Pueppke

Nurtazin

et al. 2022

Water

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“…CA is also characterized by the Soviet past, where water security was interpreted through water engineering infrastructure for irrigated cotton production in downstream republics (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) and partially for water storage and hydropower generation in upstream republics (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). The two large basins of Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers (Figure 1), together with several tributaries, were heavily exploited in the Soviet era and, combined with water mismanagement practices, contributed to the Aral Sea desiccation, an emblematic disaster with significant consequences for the entire region (Abdullaev et al, 2019;Peterson, 2019;Wheeler, 2021). In our study, we also included the country of Afghanistan due to the extensive sharing of the Amudarya river with Tajikistan in the upstream region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing water security in Central Asia through a Delphi method and a clustering analysis

Assubayeva

Xenarios

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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The accessibility to freshwater sources and even allocation among different uses has become one of the most challenging sustainability aspects, especially in developing and transition economies, where a rapid increase in water consumption and poor management practices are more frequent. Water security has been adopted as a relatively new concept to encompass the relevant dimensions for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Still, water security remains a rather abstract notion without well-established and measurable indicators. Central Asia (CA) is a region where water security was prioritized after the Soviet dissolution in 1991; however, several socio-economic, environmental, and transboundary aspects hinder establishing a common understanding. In this study, we have attempted to synopsize the concept of water security in CA as perceived by the views of water professionals with experience and expertise in the region. We applied a Delphi method and analyzed its outcome with clustering and regression analysis to better comprehend the agreement rate among water professionals on critical aspects of water security in the CA region. Our devised methodology can quantify the general agreement rate among professionals and assess the behavioural trends for iterative Delphi rounds. The findings suggest that the economic dimension of water security in CA is the ultimate priority for nearly all water professionals, while the national priorities for each CA county are not identical. The study anticipates identifying the elements needed for a commonly agreed water security framework in CA and offering methodological insights for the assessment of socio-ecological challenges.

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“…William Wheeler (2021) argues that Soviet modernity treated nature as a resource to be mastered to serve human progress. This violent reordering of the environment often led to environmental degradation.…”

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confidence: 99%

The Politics and Aesthetics of Waste in Liudmila Petrushevskaia’s Fiction

Anisimova¹

2023

Slavica Bergensia

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Environment and Post-Soviet Transformation in Kazakhstan’s Aral Sea Region

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

The Changing Dynamics of Kazakhstan’s Fisheries Sector: From the Early Soviet Era to the Twenty-First Century

The Changing Dynamics of Kazakhstan’s Fisheries Sector: From the Early Soviet Era to the Twenty-First Century

Assessing water security in Central Asia through a Delphi method and a clustering analysis

The Politics and Aesthetics of Waste in Liudmila Petrushevskaia’s Fiction

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