Search

This paper aimed to describe the National Centre for Neurosurgery, the only specialized hospital in the treatment of neurological diseases in Kazakhstan and the leading neurosurgical hospital in Central Asia. Historical data were collected from the archive materials of the National Centre for Neurosurgery. The paper outlines the achievements of the Centre in providing neurosurgical care to the population over the past 15 years, commencing with its establishment in 2008. During this period, there has been a 2.3-fold increase in the number of neurosurgeons at the Centre, accompanied by a significant seven-fold rise in the number of surgeries conducted. Additionally, the Centre has hosted international conferences and educational programs in collaboration with the Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. Throughout the last 15 years, more than 70 treatment techniques were introduced, and subsequent technology transfer initiatives extended these methods to regions within the country. The National Centre for Neurosurgery has achieved remarkable progress in delivering patient-centered neurosurgical care, rehabilitation programs, and innovative treatments, supported by state funding, benefitting patients across Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduces a typology of higher education institutions (HEIs) created in Central Asia after the Soviet collapse in 1991. • Classifies new HEIs as 'external', 'hybrid', 'bi-national' and 'neo-Soviet' based on structure, founding actors, and funding. • In Kazakhstan, most new HEIs were private. New external norms showed efforts to create a different kind of higher education. • A blend of Soviet and external structures/norms in Kyrgyzstan is partly due to dependence on non-state sources of funding. • In contrast, institutional entrepreneurs in Tajikistan reduced uncertainty by modelling new HEIs on the Soviet-era template. Across the former Soviet space, governments have grappled with fundamental questions around how to build or re-form sovereign nations, how to deal with the legacies of the preceding Soviet era, and how to navigate intense globalization processes that were further stimulated with the collapse of the communist bloc in 1991. Structural reforms have extended to all aspects of society, particularly to social institutions such as higher education that had historically been very closely linked to the state. One response to change has been the massive expansion of higher education systems. The dramatic growth of the ex-Soviet higher education systems and the impact of the path-altering events of 1991 lead to the research questions this paper explores, which are, 1) To what extent did HEIs created between 1991 and 1996 represent a break from the Soviet past? and 2) How do patterns in the emergence of new HEIs compare across the former Soviet space? Using the cases of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, drawing theoretically from sociological institutionalism and methodologically from a comparative case study including in-depth interviews with 36 faculty members, this paper sets out a novel typology of four distinct patterns in the new HEIs that emerged in the first five years following the Soviet breakdown. These are classified as 'external', 'hybrid', 'bi-national' and 'neo-Soviet', each being distinguishable in terms of their organization, founding actors, and funding model. Through this comparative investigation, the paper elaborates on the dynamics of structural reforms in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the study of raw material procurement on two late Middle Paleolithic sites, Katta Sai 1 and Katta Sai 2, located in the western Tian Shan piedmont. The previous studies allowed to identify an unknown Levallois variant of human cultural adaptation in the regional Middle Paleolithic. Predetermined flake technology focused on obtaining the thin triangular flakes or even blades. At the same time, the river pebbles of effusive rocks brought from the nearby river gorges were used for knapping. The paper analyses the sources of the raw material collected, and its knapping quality together with the technological features indicating how the manufacturing scheme was adjusted to the quality of used raw material. [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]

• This paper explores a contemporary trend of developing regional spaces in higher education, transcending national boundaries and promoting cross-border integration. • Using original data from the survey of 87 university international officers and interviews with seven policy-makers, this study charts the regional spaces in higher education in the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan). • The findings unveil a complex landscape of spatial identities marked by diversity and tensions. Various spaces, such as the European space, Eurasian Space, and commonwealth of independent States' Space, play significant roles, albeit to varying degrees across countries. • The European space is recognised as the most important space in higher education, highlighting its influence and relevance. • The study also observes the nascent development of immediate geographic spaces in central Asia and the Caucasus, where respondents express enthusiasm for collaborative efforts with neighbouring countries to advance common interests in higher education and research. One of the contemporary trends in global higher education is the emergence of regional spaces that transcend national boundaries, fostering cross-border integration and cooperation. This paper presents original data from surveys of university international officers and interviews with national policy-makers to explore regional spaces in higher education across the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan). The findings unveil a complex landscape of spatial identities marked by diversity and tensions. The European space is recognised as by far the most important space in higher education. At the same time, the Eurasian/the Commonwealth of Independent States' space(s) remain to be prominent in higher education, albeit to a varying degree in different countries. The study also observes the nascent development of immediate geographic spaces in Central Asia and the Caucasus, where participants express enthusiasm for collaborative efforts with neighbouring countries to advance common interests in higher education and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of future multiple ecosystem services (ESs) is of great significance to regional development. However, future data simulation and climate change impacts still need further research. This paper constructs an assessment framework for future ESs based on the earth system model, which can comprehensively analyze and trade-off carbon storage (CS), water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), habitat suitability (HS), potential production of cereals (PPC), potential production of roundwood (PPR), and potential production of livestock (PPL). Furthermore, we carry out a case study in Central Asia. Based on IPSL-CM6A-LR model, we evaluated the levels of multiple ESs and their comprehensive tradeoffs in 2050 under five shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, SSP460, and SSP585). The results show that (1) with the increase in carbon emissions (from SSP126 to SSP585), the terrestrial CS and WY in Central Asia will first increase and then decrease in 2050. Notably, SC and HS experience a significant decline under SSP585 (7.76% and 2.20%, respectively), indicating environmental risks associated with high-emission scenarios. (2) Among the five pathways, the middle path (SSP245) strikes a better balance between development and environment. It demonstrates the highest levels of SC, HS, PPR, and PPL. Additionally, CS and PPC witnessed an increase of more than 4%. (3) SSP370 achieves the highest comprehensive trade-off score (1.087), slightly surpassing that of SSP245 (1.086). It exhibits the highest CS and WY among the five pathways. However, its SC, HS, PPR, and PPL are comparatively lower than those of SSP245, being at the intermediate level. We propose directions for the development of Central Asia: A middle pathway should be taken, as well as necessary climate and sustainable policies should be formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the MP presence and removal in the urban WWTP in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. MP concentrations in the 100–5000 μm size were analyzed across treatment stages with a modified treatment process scheme, and their removal efficiencies were evaluated. The WWTP effluent displayed a low MP concentration (4.06 ± 3.06 MP/L to 5.44 ± 3.51 MP/L), but considering the daily wastewater discharge (253,900,000 L/day), it can significantly contribute to the MP pollution of aquatic systems. Seasonal variation was observed in the influent, with higher abundance during summer, while no significant trend was observed in the effluent. The WWTP achieved an 88.6–93.0 % removal efficiency, with mechanical treatment and granular filtration being the most effective, followed by biological treatment and UV disinfection. Fragments were the most abundant among the observed shapes (53.9–59.9 %) and black MPs dominated (44.7–67.5 %). Polyethylene (PE) emerged as the most prevalent polymer type among the MPs analyzed (31.6–35.7 %). [Display omitted] • MP abundance, removal, and seasonal variation in an urban Kazakhstan WWTP were investigated. • Seasonally fructuating MP concentrations peaked in summer and were lowest in winter. • The dominant shape, color, and polymer type were fragments, black color, and polyethylene. • The MP removal was 88.6–93.0 %, with granular filtration being the most effective process. • Daily Astana WWTP discharge to aquatic systems was estimated as 52.7 ± 22.6 g/day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We study the relationship between women's empowerment and adherence to recommended infant and young child feeding practices in Central Asia. • We simultaneously analyze three dimensions of empowerment: attitude toward domestic violence, social independence and decision-making power. • Woman's decision-making power—a measure of her instrumental agency—predicts greater adherence to recommended IYCF practices. • A woman's attitude toward domestic violence and social independence are not consistent predictors of adherence to recommended IYCF practices. • Associations between decision-making power and IYCF practices vary little with child gender, cohabitation with one's mother-in-law, or wealth. This paper examines the relationship between women's empowerment and infant and young child feeding practices in Central Asia using Demographic and Health Survey datasets collected during 1995–2017. We employ a measure of women's empowerment with three dimensions that is available for many recent surveys as well as a measure of decision-making power over use of one's own income present for income-earning mothers in all surveys. We identify a positive association between a woman's decision-making power—a measure of her instrumental agency—and adherence to World Health Organization–recommended feeding practices. We find little significant association between a woman's attitude toward domestic violence, or her degree of social independence, and adherence to recommended feeding practices. Our results further show that the association between women's decision-making power and feeding practices varies little with child gender, whether or not she cohabitates with her mother-in-law, or household wealth. We thus provide evidence from Central Asia that policies and programs intended to empower women can improve child feeding practices, with similar benefits across a variety of household types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sociomaterialities of extractivism rush and resist the making of resource frontiers. • Communities resist coercive extractivism to defend socionatural multiplicities. • Activism at times disrupts extractivism and at others altogether unmake resources. • Resistance we unearth in Maidan is a process of unmaking gold as a resource. • Maidan's struggle is an institutional experimentation for shaping just socionatures. In October 2013, around 200 protestors from the rural settlement Maidan in Kyrgyzstan clashed violently with the representatives of the exploration company as they brought in the first excavator to construct the mining infrastructure for the 'Shambesai' gold deposit. This paper is an attempt to understand the processes and practices that have led to this escalation and that continue to sustain Maidan's rejection of the gold mine to date. Motivated by state and corporate assertions that attribute such actions primarily to material interests, we engage this resistance to gold extractivism in sociomaterial terms trying to understand more deeply the dynamics of ordinary citizens' activism. Based on multi-stage interdisciplinary research, we trace and reconstruct the socionatural conditions and practices that have culminated in Maidan's decade-long struggle to unmake gold as a resource on their territory. Focusing on resource materialities, their valuations and governance, we present an historico-geographical analysis of making and unmaking of a resource frontier. Against the backdrop of the extractive order that has prevailed in Kyrgyzstan over the last three decades, we understand Maidan's struggle to be a form of situated institutional experimentation for shaping meaningful and just more-than-human socionatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genesis of leucogranite magmas is important issue of geodynamics, petrology and ore geology because leucogranites are associated with collisional belts, partial melting of sedimentary source rocks, and may host rare metal (Sn, W, Li, Nb Ta, and Be) mineralization. To establish the petrogenesis of large leucogranite intrusions, detailed studies of petrography, mineralogy, fluid regime, and the material and isotopic composition of rocks are required. The paper reports results of the studies of the Delbegetei massif of the intrusion in Eastern Kazakhstan. The massif is composed predominantly of leucocratic granites, while syenogranites are subordinate. Rocks of the massif belong to shoshonitic and high-K calc-alkaline series; demonstrate a predominance of K over Na, high ferroan and high contents of LREE and HFSE; which allows them to be classified as A-type granites. The age of Delbegetei massif, estimated by the U Pb zircon dating, varies in the range 249–240 Ma, which correspond the Early-Middle Triassic. The differences in rock composition and in temperatures of zircon saturation allow supposing that syenogranites and leucogranites formed from different parental magmas. Syenogranite magma formed as a result of partial melting of metamorphosed volcanic rocks (andesidacites or dacites) with possible influence of mafic magmas. Leucogranite magma formed as a result of fluid-present partial melting of metaterrigenous sedimentary rocks. Leucogranite magma underwent the feldspars differentiation in the fluid-present conditions. This led to composition variations of leucogranites. Analysis of the geological position, age and composition of the rocks allows concluding that the Delbegetei massif formed at the Early Triassic in an intraplate geodynamic setting and that the activity of the Siberian mantle plume is the most probable reason for their formation. • The Delbegetei massif is composed of the A-type syenogranite-leucogranite series. • The meta-volcanic rocks are possible source for syenogranites. • The metasedimentary rocks are possible source for leucogranites. • The age of massif is Early-Middle Triassic (249–240 Ma). • The Siberian LIP is the most probable reason for Delbegetei massif formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Research integrity is understood in terms of academic and professional integrity. • Honesty, responsibility, and respectfulness are important researcher values. • Limited presence of research ethics committees. • Human participant research ethics is an individual responsibility. Central Asian (CA) countries have been actively developing their research and knowledge production systems. However, inconsistent alignment with international research ethics norms creates challenges for researchers in CA to equally participate in global knowledge production. Based on quantitative survey responses of 296 social science researchers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, this paper explores social scientists' understandings of international principles and practices of human participant research ethics. The findings show that CA social science researchers focus on a broad understanding of research integrity, focused on academic and professional integrity. The respondents highlighted the importance of individual researcher values such as honesty, responsibility, and respectfulness. With only 35 % of the respondents reporting the existence of a research ethics committee (REC) at their institutions, most respondents believe that human participant research ethics are an individual rather than an institutional responsibility in Central Asia. This study has implications for developing research and policy in other post-Soviet and emerging research contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on tensions between continuity and change in the internationalization of higher education remains scant. The transformative forces generating these tensions are under-investigated. Using insights from interviews with 21 internationally-educated professors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, this paper examines the roles of human agency in shaping international perspectives in the academic profession transitioning from the Soviet model of university to a post-Soviet one. This paper focuses on the agency of academics managing the legacy-innovation tensions resulting from the growing influence of global science and networking. While international education and outreach advances research and development opportunities for scholars in Central Asia, professors educated abroad persevere in the struggle to achieve a productive balance between demands for local and global engagement. The human agency of internationalization appears to play a significant role in mitigating these tensions and driving the rejuvenation of the academic profession in the post-Soviet space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teshik-Tash Cave, excavated in 1938 and 1939, is a key archaeological site for our understanding of the Middle Paleolithic population dynamics of Central Asia. Its privileged status is due to the discovery of well-preserved Neanderthal skeletal remains in association with rich lithic artifacts. However, despite repeated studies of the skeletal remains, the lithic industry has not received sufficient re-analysis with up-to-date information since its first publication more than a half century ago. The present paper reports our first results based on the collection stored at the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. We show that a combination of hierarchical and nonhierarchical core reduction strategies, the former of which includes a particular type of Levallois technology, characterizes the Teshik-Tash industry. Typologically, the common manufacturing of side scrapers, associated with a small number of heavy-duty tools, are diagnostic. It is also notable that triangular points often common in the Middle Paleolithic of Southwest Asia are rare. This industry is regarded as an important Neanderthal cultural tradition of West Central Asia, whose precise spatio-temporal placement needs to be determined through comparisons with other assemblages from controlled excavations. In the meantime, its disparity from the Sibiryachikha Mousterian industry left by the Neanderthals of East Central Asia is incontestable. This finding helps us understand the complicated origin and development of Neanderthal groups in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing digital documentation of cultural heritage resources yielded from an increasing number of international projects, calls for the development of formal computational approaches to assess the risks that this invaluable material heritage is exposed to. This paper proposes a nuanced case-control approach to the risk assessment developed by the Central Asian Archaeological Landscape (CAAL) project for an area in southern Tajikistan. A number of statistical methods are applied for the spatial modelling of the risk to the cultural heritage across the study area and for the assessment of the local scenarios of potential archaeological features already affected by natural and human threats. The value of this formal approach is in its flexible applicability to diverse regional and national settings, as well as in its capability of being updated and repeated within the same territory. This provides local stakeholders, heritage professionals, and local authorities, with a useful tool to develop a risk management plan that includes quantitative as well as qualitative spatial assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important share of worldwide poverty reduction since the 1970s is due to China's decrease in rural poverty. This article asks how has this extraordinary story of success traveled beyond East Asia, and in particular how the World Bank reflected it. Building on studies of policy narratives, it shows how the Bank has since the 1990s constructed a perspective that aligns China with its broader depiction of "pro-market" East Asia. It downplays the role of the state as subsidizer and buyer of poor people's production and reduces Chinese policies to their land reform component, which then becomes the basis of policy advice extended to transitioning and African countries. The article's main contribution is showing the constitution of a development narrative spanning two decades and reaching the form of an extremely concise and therefore increasingly ubiquitous statement about a "liberalizing China" and the poverty-reducing and market-conforming effect of land reform alone. • The paper asks how the World Bank reflected China's successful poverty-reduction story. • The paper reviews the numerous statist elements present in China's rural poverty reduction. • The World Bank downplays the state's role as subsidizer and buyer of poor people's production. • It reduces Chinese policies to a simplified account of their land reform component. • The Bank's treatment of China becomes the basis of policy advice extended to transitioning and African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a large-scale fieldwork project of interdisciplinary studies on the Middle Paleolithic settlement in the western Tian Shan piedmont. A complex of newly discovered “loess Paleolithic” open-air sites near Yangiobod (Uzbekistan), Katta Sai, was excavated. The excavations allowed identification of a new variant of human adaptation in the regional Middle Paleolithic. In the light of the newest anthropological and genetic data, this new archaeological sites fit to the current studies on the relations between different human species during the Middle and Early Upper Paleolithic in Central Asia. Geoarchaeological investigation of the sites has shown that the Paleolithic assemblages of Katta Sai are not preserved in situ . Cultural levels suffered from rill erosion, and most of the artifacts were re-deposited by water flow, and accumulated in secondary positions on the bottom of the branched rill system. This paper aims to reconstruct the subsequent processes of the site formation and to present the complicated geological situation of the studied sites of the Katta Sai complex, with implication for the archaeological interpretation of Paleolithic assemblages of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present new and review already existing landslide and earthquake data for a large part of the Tien Shan, Central Asia. For the same area, only partial databases for sub-regions have been presented previously. They were compiled and new data were added to fill the gaps between the databases. Major new inputs are products of the Central Asia Seismic Risk Initiative (CASRI): a tentative digital map of active faults (even with indication of characteristic or possible maximum magnitude) and the earthquake catalogue of Central Asia until 2009 that was now updated with USGS data (to May 2014). The new compiled landslide inventory contains existing records of 1600 previously mapped mass movements and more than 1800 new landslide data. Considering presently available seismo-tectonic and landslide data, a target region of 1200 km (E–W) by 600 km (N–S) was defined for the production of more or less continuous geohazards information. This target region includes the entire Kyrgyz Tien Shan, the South-Western Tien Shan in Tajikistan, the Fergana Basin (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) as well as the Western part in Uzbekistan, the North-Easternmost part in Kazakhstan and a small part of the Eastern Chinese Tien Shan (for the zones outside Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, only limited information was available and compiled). On the basis of the new landslide inventory and the updated earthquake catalogue, the link between landslide and earthquake activity is analysed. First, size–frequency relationships are studied for both types of geohazards, in terms of Gutenberg–Richter Law for the earthquakes and in terms of probability density function for the landslides. For several regions and major earthquake events, case histories are presented to outline further the close connection between earthquake and landslide hazards in the Tien Shan. From this study, we concluded first that a major hazard component is still now insufficiently known for both types of geohazards – and even totally unknown for most giant landslides: the time information. Thus, dating rockslides and any large mass movement is a crucial factor in order to better constrain related hazards. Second, we highlight the role of coupled hazards in the Tien Shan – inside the mountain range the largest disasters were caused by earthquake-triggered landslides and massive earth flows. Therefore, it is of prime importance for these mountain regions to complement single hazard assessment by coupled hazard scenarios. On the basis of these scenarios, risk evaluations may then be completed considering direct impacts on artificial dams, hydropower schemes, mining and road infrastructure as well as remote effects from possible dam breaches and mobilisation of mining and nuclear waste storages. Basic hazard and risk components are partly analysed in this paper and partly in a companion paper ‘Tien Shan geohazards database: Landslide susceptibility and impacts’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent global economic and financial crisis and exchange rate volatilities in Eurasian countries caused significant impact on exchange arrangements and trade flows in Central Asian economies and thereby unveiled the necessity of monetary cooperation in the region. For this, current paper proposes a deviation measurement for coordinated exchange rate policies in Central Asian countries to enhance the regional monetary cooperation. Central Asian Currency Unit - CACU is calculated as a weighted average of Central Asian currencies against USD following the method used to calculate the European Currency Unit (ECU) and the Asian Monetary Unit (AMU) introduced by Ogawa and Shimizu (2005) for East Asian countries; and indicator that displays the degree of deviation of Central Asian currencies against CACU at the benchmark rate. Three types of CACU are considered in the paper based on nominal GDP, GDP measured at PPP and trade volume, while deviation indicator is grounded on arithmetic average of GDP at PPP and trade volume shares. Findings indicate that Central Asian currencies significantly deviate in terms of other Central Asian currencies. Furthermore, nominal and real deviation indicators signal that the trends vary in both the scales and directions. Thus, these measurements can be utilized for enhancing coordinated exchange rate policies among Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the rural exodus dominates public and scientific debates, considerably less attention has been given to studying why the overwhelming majority of people worldwide remain immobile. As a consequence of this, the reasons why people stay, especially in economically weaker rural areas, are still not fully understood. This paper aims to contribute to closing this gap by addressing the question of why rural people stay put despite inter-regional welfare. Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) we model staying intentions of villagers in rural Kazakhstan, where many people leave toward urban areas. Our model focuses on staying behaviour, but explicitly includes the leave option as the alternative to staying, as well as both staying and leaving barriers. We apply a cutting edge partial least square structural equation model. Our study reveals the existence of an interaction between staying and leaving barriers. Thus, any policies reducing rural-urban migration barriers have a multiplier effect as people view staying as comparatively more difficult when leaving becomes easier. We further show that existing positive narratives of urban life weaken staying intentions. However, the strongest factor slowing rural exodus is not related to the rural economy, but to the future prossspects of children, including access to high-quality educational institutions in close proximity. • The rural exodus dominates public debates; less attention is given to studying why the majority of people remain immobile. • Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour we model staying intentions of villagers with a structural equation model. • Our study reveals the existence of an interaction between staying and leaving barriers. • The reduction of migration barriers has a multiplier effect; people view staying more difficult when leaving becomes easier. • Factors slowing rural exodus are future perspectives for children and access to educational institutions in close proximity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding seasonal mobility patterns in prehistoric pastoral groups is essential to understanding regional dynamics. In this paper, we present data on the seasonality of site use in southeast Kazakhstan during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The data for this study come from the settlements of Begash and Tasbas. Begash has previously been described as a winter settlement, while Tasbas provides evidence for agricultural production and was initially considered a summer settlement. We performed analysis of cementum annulations on 49 caprine teeth from Begash and 29 caprine teeth from Tasbas. We demonstrate that occupation at Begash was not strictly limited to winter, and that occupation at Tasbas was year-round. These results demonstrate more variation in seasonal occupation patterns than was previously expected, which indicates more complexity in mobility patterns as well. Introducing additional variation and complexity in seasonal movement means that we will need to revise our models of mobile pastoral economies in the Bronze and Iron Ages. The results of this study lead to questions about what factors influenced movement, and how variability in mobility patterns affected larger social structures and interactions between populations in Central Eurasia in prehistory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bracketed by the Zagros, Hindukush, Altai, and Himalaya Mountains, Central Asia was a likely a migration route for early people moving into North and East Asia. Because of its central geographic setting, the area also channeled cultural and technological influences and exchange between adjoining regions in early prehistory. In this paper we analyze techno-typological characteristics of stone tool assemblages assigned to Early and Late Epipaleolithic industries from two key archaeological sites in Tajikistan – Tutkaul and Obi-Kiik. We compare –these industries with preceding Upper Paleolithic assemblages from the same region, as well as with cultural entities from the Levant and Zagros which share technological traits. Our study reveals key similarities, suggesting that the Tutkaul and Obi-Kiik techno-complexes belong to a single Epipaleolithic culture – which we refer to as the Tutkaulian – split into a three-stage developmental sequence. We argue that the Tutkaulian, defined by bladelet-based primary reduction and an abundance of geometric microliths, with a chronological progression from trapeze-rectangle to lunate forms, has its origins in the local Upper Paleolithic culture (Kulbulakian) emerging through repeated episodes of cultural exchange with earlier or synchronous Levantine and Zagros industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-altitude Central Asian communities (mainly from rural Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) face a high degree of energy complexity. The thematic knowledge clearly outlines that these communities hold special energy identity (information about energy requirements, energy consumption, classification of the building, energy resources, energy services, and challenges) and at the same time, energy poverty ironically exists. To mitigate energy poverty, there is an immediate need for sustainable energy transition through special energy planning. Though, the limited information about the energy identity of these communities restricts the energy transition process. The main aim of the paper was to outline the special and comparative energy profile of high-altitude Central Asian rural communities. To demonstrate the special energy profile, a novel correlative approach was developed which synthesises the information about energy context (current energy situation and critical issues), energy resources (available sustainable and non-sustainable energy and its usage) and energy services (available energy services to meet the energy need) by considering local boundary conditions. These various parameters were studied based on the extensive literature review, the author's interview with local people and the previous work of the authors. There is a large gap in the literature regarding energy information about high-altitude Central Asian communities. Based on the correlative approach, the presented article was the first attempt to develop a novel framework to interpret the energy identity of high-altitude Central Asian communities and thus contribute to knowledge. The derived special energy identity will serve as a profound base to develop an energy planning more effectively. The derived results categorised the spatial energy situation at the roof of the world. Even though access to electricity, the high-altitude Central Asian rural population suffers from unique and complex energy challenges articulated in the presented article. Energy is a costly and critical task for the local population. To resolve this issue, sustainable energy transition is an essential element for these settlements which ensures sustainable communities from the long-term perspective. This can be achieved by spatial energy planning for high-altitude communities (i.e. implementation of energy efficiency measures in combination with an energy supply system on a community level). • The high-altitude rural communities in Central Asia face unique energy challenges as significant energy required for heating due to old and uninsulated buildings, extreme cold climate and high-altitude terrain • A novel correlative approach was established to develop energy identity of communities situated at roof of the world • Guide for energy identity of high-altitude rural communities of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is developed • This study demonstrates immedaite need of sustainable energy transition at roof of the world • The research suggests that building energy efficiency is a key parameter to achieve the complex sustainable energy transition at roof of the World. [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]

Cet article présente les résultats des fouilles menées durant les années 2016–2017 au nouveau site stratifié du Paléolithique supérieur d'Ushboulak. Le gisement d'Ushboulak se situe dans la vallée de Shiliktinskaïa (Kazakhstan oriental). Le site a livré huit couches stratigraphiques, qui ont fourni du matériel archéologique depuis la période holocène jusqu'aux premières étapes du Paléolithique supérieur. La collection des artefacts la plus représentative a été découverte dans les couches 6 et 7. L'industrie lithique issue de ces couches est caractérisée par le débitage orienté vers la fabrication des lames par la méthode parallèle uni- et bidirectionnelle lors de la réduction volumétrique des nucléus. L'ensemble des pièces est représenté par des types d'outils, tels que racloirs tranversaux et burins sur lames, outils tronqués et facettés, lames appointées, lames pédonculées à l'extrémité obtuse, nucléus-burins. L'ensemble de ces caractéristiques ainsi que la datation obtenue pour la couche 6, entre 45.249 et 44.012 cal.BP, permettent d'attribuer les couches 6 et 7 au Paléolithique supérieur ancien et de considérer le Kazakhstan oriental comme une région géographique intermédiaire entre les complexes contemporains de l'Altaï de montagnes, en Dzoungarie et en Mongolie. In this paper we present the results of two years (2016 and 2017) excavations at new stratified Upper Paleolithic site of Ushbulak, situated in Shiliktinskaia Valley, Eastern Kazakhstan. There are eight lithological layers, which contain the archaeological material from Holocene to Initial Upper Paleolithic. The most significant number of artifacts was discovered in the layers 6 and 7. The debitage assemblages from these layers represent primary knapping oriented towards blade production by parallel uni- and bidirectional methods of volumetric core reduction. The tool assemblage includes several types, such as end-scrappers, burins on blades, truncated-faceted pieces, and points with basal trimming, bitruncated blades and burin-cores. These features together with a date 45.249–44.012 cal.BP from layer 6 allow us to attribute these two layers 6 and 7 to the Initial Upper Paleolithic and to consider Eastern Kazakhstan as a region between synchronous sites of the Initial Upper Paleolithic in Altai Mountains, Dzungaria and Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Payments for ecosystem service (PES) schemes have become increasingly popular in attempting to promote ecological stewardship and conservation behaviour through provisioning of economic incentives often as market-inspired transactions. The scholarship and empirical application of PES schemes has tended to focus on contract design and conditionality of payments rather than more fundamentally examining whether incentives do indeed influence behaviour in desired ways. In this paper, a set of incentive framed treatments are introduced to existing collective action institutions promoting common pool resource management in order to explore the effects of incentive provision on the propensity to participate in the maintenance of collectively owned irrigation canals. The experiments take place in the Kyrgyz Republic, characterized by the historic transition of nomadic collective traditions, subsequent Soviet rule, to advances towards democracy, market integration, and the first PES pilot in the country. In the incentive treatments provided, we reveal the close interplay between the framing of incentives, the influence of village leaders mobilizing collective activity and social norms of reciprocity, trust and enforcement in mobilizing collective work. Each framed case study exhibits a unique configuration of individual motivations, group norms and other regarding rationalities, providing critical insight into this new frontier of PES implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The long-term cooling or warming trend is one of the most important aspects of Holocene paleoclimatic research. However, there are currently significant discrepancies among climatic simulation results, sedimentary and synthesized Holocene temperature records. These discrepancies call for new Holocene temperature records with a robust chronology and unambiguous indicative significance. Here, we present a ca. 45-year-resolution alpine peat α-cellulose carbon isotopic (δ13C) record from the Altai Mountains in central Asia. The chronology of the record has been well-constrained by 22 AMS 14C dates of the peat α-cellulose samples. Based on detailed modern-process study results, the indicative significance of the record has been carefully determined as summer temperature indicator. The record reveals an overall trend of increasing summer temperature for the past ca. 11 ka with a warmer early (from ca. 8–6 ka BP) and late (from ca. 4–0 ka BP) Holocene and colder middle Holocene (from ca. 6–4 ka BP). The general pattern of a warmer early and late Holocene and colder middle Holocene is consistent with previously reported temperature records from central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau, and North China. The long-term warming trend in our summer temperature record is consistent with recently reported winter temperature records from high latitudes of continental Eurasia. All these results further support the reliability of our summer temperature record from central Asia. The better understandings about the Holocene temperature history and its possible driven mechanism(s) can be benefited potentially from more reliable Holocene temperature records, including our record reported in this paper. Highlights • The well-dated high-resolution alpine peat α-cellulose δ13C record from central Asia. • The reported peat α-cellulose δ13C dataset is an indicator of summer temperature. • The long-term Holocene summer warming trend in the peat α-cellulose δ13C record. • The GHG forcing as the most plausible driving for the long-term Holocene warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Drought events are identified based on an improved 3-D clustering algorithm. • Space-time drought characteristics are analyzed. • An increasing drought thermal stress has been detected within the past 35 years. Abstract Understanding the space-time structure and characteristics of drought is crucial for drought risk mitigation and forecasting efforts. In this paper, the drought events are identified by an improved 3-dimensional clustering algorithm. The 3-month Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI3) is calculated based on the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) dataset from January 1966 to December 2015 to construct the longitude-latitude-time space. The characteristics of these identified events are described by a series of indicators such as duration, severity, intensity, affected area, centroids and track path after which the spatial pattern and temporal evolution are studied. In addition, the Vegetation Health Index (VHI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and Temperature Condition Index (TCI) are also included to investigate the possible impact of drought on the vegetation health. Results show that a total of 60 persisting drought events for at least 3 months have been identified in Central Asia. The most severe drought event occurred between May 1974 and January 1976 with a duration of 21 months and an affected area of 5.77 million km2. Most events have a duration between 3 and 5 months. In addition, the droughts in Central Asia tend to have an east-west trajectory. Seasonally, the study area experienced more drought months in spring and summer. During the recent 35 years, there has been a slowly increasing thermal stress and a significantly decreasing soil moisture stress that causes an overall decreasing drought stress on vegetation health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The oldest juniper studied in the Fann Mountains in western Tajikistan reached the age of 1320 years. • Moisture conditions are more strongly correlated with growth-ring widths than temperature. • Divergence between dendroclimatic reaction at low and high-elevation sites was confirmed. • Elevation can have stronger effects on the dendroclimatic signal than slope exposure. • Negative growth is triggered by dry conditions and dust storm events at low-elevation sites. This paper reports on a detailed dendrochronological and dendroclimatological study of juniper trees (Juniperus seravschanica Kom. and J. semiglobosa Regel), sampled at seven sites having different elevations (2200 – 3100 m) and exposures (south-north) in the Pamir-Alay mountains, north-western Tajikistan. We developed seven new, well-replicated ring-width chronologies extending back over the last 219–1320 years. Our results confirm that the main climate factor influencing radial growth in this semi-arid region is variability in precipitation. However, they also indicate that there is a divergence in dendroclimatic responses between low- and high-elevation sites, where different limiting factors play a dominant role. The radial growth of J. semiglobosa at the uppermost treeline locations is the most sensitive to winter precipitation. Tree-ring formation in J. seravschanica at low-elevation sites is strongly limited by spring-summer drought conditions and by winter temperatures. The results of PCA analysis indicate that the relationships between growth and climate are linked more to elevation than to exposure. It was also found that negative growth extremes at low elevation sites may be triggered by strong dust storm events. Our findings clearly show that precisely planned selections of topographically differentiated sites, including elevation and exposure, are crucial for the possible reconstruction of different climatic elements in the high mountains of Central Asia for the last hundreds to thousands of years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Exchange rate volatility interacts closely with capital market prices and have a huge impact on import-export trade and foreign investment in the real economy. This paper adopted the VAR-based spillover index approach to explore the exchange rate risk contagion among belt-road countries. By taking Central Asian countries as example, we find that the internal interaction is extremely weak among Central Asian currency markets while the Kyrgyz currency plays a relatively important role in the entire region. Moreover, spillovers among Central Asian currency markets are inevitably influenced by major economic/political events, which needs further study in the future. Empirical results contribute to the policy making of regulators and trading behaviours of investors in the foreign currency market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though the drylands of Central and Eastern Asia are among the most continental regions of the world, they are also home to some of the largest rivers and lakes in the world. Because of a low population density, many of these water bodies have remained in relatively pristine condition until the mid-20th century, when urbanization, intensive agriculture and mining activities began to leave massive footprints on the regional environment. In more recent decades, water bodies in the region have been massively modified by both water withdrawals and pollutant influxes. At the example of the Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, and Tarim River basins, this paper provides an overview of the impacts of human activities on the large rivers and receiving (terminal) lakes in Central and Eastern Asian drylands. Finally, recent measures to at least partially restore their aquatic ecosystems are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kazakhstan envisions a transition towards a green economy in the next decades, which poses an immense challenge as the country's economy and energy system depends heavily on hydrocarbon resources. Here, it lacks inclusive and transparent tools assessing technical, economic, and environmental implications resulting from changes in its electricity system. We present such a tool: our comprehensive techno-economic unit-commitment model determines the hourly least-cost generation dispatch, based on publicly available data on the technical and economic characteristics of the system. It accounts for particularities of the Kazakh electricity system by representing combined heat and power, and endogenously determining line losses. Model results examine two typical weeks: winter (annual peak load) and summer (hour of lowest annual load) presenting regionally and temporally disaggregated results for power generation, line utilization, and nodal prices. In an application to market design, the paper compares nodal and zonal pricing as two possible pricing schemes in Kazakhstan for the envisioned strengthening of the day-ahead market. The model analyze the current Kazakh electricity system and can be easily expanded to assess the sector's future development. Possible applications include investment in generation and transmission infrastructure, policy assessment for renewables integration, carbon pricing, emission reduction, and questions of market design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is regarded to have undergone multiple phases of intracontinental deformation during the Meso-Cenozoic. Located in a key position along the southern CAOB, the Alxa Tectonic Belt (ATB) connects the northernmost Tibetan Plateau with the Mongolian Plateau. In this paper we apply apatite U-Pb and fission track thermochronological studies on varieties of samples from the southwestern ATB, in order to constrain its thermal evolution. Precambrian bedrock samples yield late Ordovician-early Silurian (~ 430–450 Ma) and late Permian (~ 257 Ma) apatite U-Pb ages; the late Paleozoic magmatic-sedimentary samples yield relatively consistent early Permian ages from ~ 276 to 290 Ma. These data reveal that the ATB experienced multiple Paleozoic tectono-thermal events, as the samples passed through the apatite U-Pb closure temperature (~ 350–550 °C). We interpret these tectonic events to record the long-lived subduction-accretion processes of the Paleo-Asian Ocean during the formation of the southern CAOB, with possible thermal influence of the Permian Tarim mantle plume. Apatite fission track (AFT) data and thermal history modelling reveal discrete low-temperature thermal events for the ATB, inducing cooling/reheating through the AFT partial annealing zone (~ 120–60 °C). During the Permian, the samples underwent rapid cooling via exhumation or denudation from deep crustal levels to temperatures < 200 °C. Subsequent thermal events in the Triassic were thought to be associated with the final amalgamation of the CAOB or the closure of the Paleotethys. During the Jurassic-Cretaceous the study area experienced heating by burial, followed by renewed cooling, which may be related with the construction and subsequent collapse of the Mongol-Okhotsk Orogeny, or the Lhasa-Eurasia collision and subsequent slab break-off. These results indicate that the ATB may have been stable after late Cretaceous in contrast to the Qilian Shan and Tianshan. Finally, our results indicate differential exhumation scenario occurred across the southwestern ATB during the Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we aim to analyse economic and social transition factors affecting the agricultural labor force and to understand the feminization phenomenon in rural Tajikistan. Agrarian reforms, seasonal male labor outmigration, and the subsequent increase in women's labor participation have facilitated changes in gender occupational segregation. We assume that in post-Soviet transition countries such as Tajikistan, the process of feminization grew from the need to take on jobs and to to slip in the role of the breadwinner due to the absence of men. The process enabled women to gain knowledge and experience in new employment positions. We contribute to the knowledge on feminization by conducting qualitative, case based analysis through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and present unique data on previously unobserved employment categories and their characteristics from the Sughd province of Tajikistan. Results suggest that existing local systems of power and male-dominated relationships are being challenged due to male labor force outmigration, leading to a feminization of the remaining labor force and recipient clients. The jobs women perform remain subject to low protection, security, and earnings. However, increased participation in the labor force provides a gateway to a wider spectrum of labor opportunities and advances women's roles in primary agricultural production as well as in the service supply sector, and provides them a certain amount of control over their own lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Asia is the world's largest non-zonal arid area, with rare and uneven precipitation. As a sensitive area of global change and with a vulnerable ecological environment, Central Asia is largely affected by global change. Various long-lived conifer species widely distributed in the mountains of Central Asia have become an important proxy for studying historical climatic, hydrological, and vegetation changes in this region. This paper reviews research progress on tree rings in Central Asia; specifically, the current state of research is addressed, highlights and bottleneck problems associated with the research are analyzed and discussed, and suggestions and prospects for further study of dendrochronology in this area are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The risk of shrinkage of surface water (permanent and seasonal) in CA is clarified. • The lake shrinkage in CA promotes the increase of AOD and AE. • Surface water affects aerosol variation through direct or indirect ways. Under the background of global warming and excessive human activities, much surface water in drylands is experiencing rapid degradation or shrinkage in recent years. The shrinkage of surface water, especially the degradation of lakes and their adjacent wetlands in drylands, may lead to the emergence of new salt dust storm hotspots, which causes greater danger. In this paper, based on high spatial resolution global surface water (GSW) and multiangle implementation of atmospheric correction (MAIAC) AOD data, we systematically analyze the dynamic characteristics of surface water and aerosols in typical drylands (Central Asia, CA) between 2000 and 2018. Simultaneously, combined with auxiliary environment variables, we explore the driving mechanisms of surface water on the regional salt/sand aerosols on different spatial scales. The results show that the seasonal surface water features an increasing trend, especially a more dramatic increase after 2015, and the permanent surface water indicates an overall decrease, with nearly 54.367 % at risk of receding and drying up. In typical lakes (Aral Sea and Ebinur Lake), the interannual change feature of the surface water area (WA) is that a continuous decrease during the study period occurs in Aral Sea area, yet a significant improvement has occurred in Ebinur Lake after 2015, and the degradation of Ebinur Lake takes place later and its recovery earlier than Aral Sea. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) in CA shows obvious seasonal variation, with the largest in spring (0.192 ± 0173), next in summer (0.169 ± 0.106), and the smallest in autumn (0.123 ± 0.065). The interannual variation of AOD exhibits an increase from 2000 to 2018 in CA, with high AOD areas mainly concentrated in the Taklamakan Desert and some lake beds resulting from lake degradation, including Aral Sea and Ebinur Lake. The AOD holds a similar trend between Aral Sea and Ebinur Lake on an interannual scale. And the AOD over Ebinur Lake is lower than that over Aral Sea in magnitude and lags behind in reaching the peak compared with Aral Sea. The WA change can significantly affect aerosol variation directly or indirectly on the aerosol load or mode size, but there are obvious differences in the driving mechanisms, acting paths, and influence magnitude of WA on aerosols on different spatial scales. In addition, the increase of WA can significantly directly suppress the increase of Ångström exponent (AE), and the effects of WA on AOD are realized majorly by an indirect approach. From the typical lake perspective, the effects of WA on aerosol in Aral Sea are achieved via an indirect path; and the decrease of WA can indirectly promote the AOD rise, and directly stimulate the AE growth in Ebinur Lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated between the Altai Mountains and the Chinese Loess Plateau, the current territory of Mongolia played a pivotal role in Pleistocene human population dynamics in Northeast Asia with archaeological evidence suggesting the existence of cultural links with southern Siberia beginning in the Late Pleistocene. Here, we present preliminary results from the newly discovered site of Kharganyn Gol 5 in northern Mongolia. The results obtained from the Kharganyn Gol 5 site allow new reconstructions of chrono-cultural sequences and human behavior in eastern Central Asia. The site has yielded evidence of human occupation corresponding to several phases of the regional Upper Paleolithic. In addition, we present the first evidence of human occupation of the region prior to Greenland Interstadial 12 (GI12; 40,000–43,000 BP) and discuss the implications of such data. The Kharganyn Gol River basin contains sedimentary rock formations including numerous raw material outcrops, containing various types of chert. Prehistoric people used all these chert varieties for tool production, but the modes of raw material exploitation changed through time. This paper reports the presence, unique in Central and North Asia, of a non-utilitarian object made of muscovite mica in an Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblage in Archaeological Horizon 5 of the Kharganyn Gol 5 site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is recognized as a cold and dry period that marks the maximum southward extension of the Scandinavian Inlands in Europe. In Asia, the ice sheet did not expand from the Arctic into Siberia, yet the LGM had a significant impact at high latitudes and elevations, as well as in regions with a continental climate. How much these changes affected the human occupation of Siberia and Mongolia is still a matter of debate and various models dealing with continuity, discontinuity, demographic movement and adaptation have been put forth. The present paper is a critical review of available empirical data regarding the impact of the LGM on landscapes and human settlements in Mongolia. This review underscores the caveats in the data collected and further analyses are proposed to test several basic hypotheses. The results obtained suggest that during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 and MIS 2, there were hiatuses in the human occupation of Mongolia. These gaps are potentially linked with significant changes in climate. It is recognized that one of the main breaks in the cultural sequence is associated with the LGM, suggesting that Mongolia experienced periods of depopulation associated with this dramatic climatic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a remote sensing-based method to efficiently derive multi-temporal landslide inventories over large areas, which allows for the spatiotemporal analysis of landslide activity, which is an important prerequisite in systematic regional landslide hazard and risk assessment. The developed method uses globally archived satellite remote sensing data for a retrospective systematic assessment of past multi-temporal landslide activity. Landslides are automatically identified as spatially explicit objects based on landslide-specific vegetation cover changes using temporal NDVI-trajectories and complementary relief-oriented parameters. To enable the long-term analysis of large areas with highest possible temporal resolution, the developed method facilitates the use of a large amount of optical multi-sensor time series data. The database of this study consists of 212 datasets that comprise freely available Landsat TM & ETM + data and SPOT 1 & 5, IRS1-C LISSIII, ASTER, and RapidEye data. These data were acquired between 1986 and 2013 and cover a landslide-prone area of 2500 km 2 in southern Kyrgyzstan. We identified 1583 landslide objects ranging in size between 50 m 2 and 2.8 km 2 . Spatiotemporal analysis of the landslides that were detected during these 27 years reveals continuous landslide activity of varying intensity. The highest overall landslide rates occurred in 2003 and 2004, exceeding the long-term annual average rate of 57 landslides per year by more than a factor of five. The areas of highest landslide activity are also determined, whereas most of these areas were persistent over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the performance of bias-corrected Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System-g3 (FGOALS-g3) model products and then detects changes in extreme precipitation (EP) in the Tienshan Mountains, Central Asia (TMCA), as reflected by 25 EP indices. The reliability of the FGOALS-g3 model outputs is assessed systematically based on multiple statistical indicators against multi-source precipitation datasets and the bias-corrected FGOALS-g3 model products are applied to project EP variations under different global warming levels. Using the geographical detector method, a novel statistical method for detecting spatial heterogeneity and elucidating the underlying causes, the explanatory power of 20 atmospheric circulation factors related to EP is examined. The findings indicate that while the FGOALS-g3 products can detect the spatial pattern of multi-year average precipitation in the TMCA, there is an obvious overestimation in magnitude, especially in the West and Middle Tienshan Mountains. These biases are significantly reduced, however, after downscaling and bias correction. Compared with the Asian Precipitation Highly-Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation (APHRODITE) data, the grid-by-grid error in bias-corrected FGOALS-g3 simulated mean precipitation is between −7.64% and 10.95%. In terms of EP, the corrected FGOALS-g3 products not only reproduce the spatial distribution, but also reasonably simulate their magnitudes, with some overestimation in light EP and underestimation in heavy EP. Overall, across the historical period, EP has increased. The intensity and frequency of EP are projected to generally increase under different scenarios. At 1.5 °C warming levels, annual total precipitation in wet days (PRCP) increases by 5.74% (7.74%) under the SSP245 (SSP585). Additionally, as an EP becomes rarer, its rate of change rises. The main driving factors in EP are detected to be 30 hPa zonal wind (30ZW), relative number of sunspots (SF), south Asian summer monsoon (SAM), sea surface temperature anomaly in the region of 5°S-5°N, 170°-120°W (NINO 3.4), and mean surface temperature (T). [Display omitted] • The local intensity scaling method is an excellent choice for correcting precipitation bias in model products. • The intensity and frequency of extreme precipitation (EP) are projected to increase further. • The rate of change in EP increases with the rareness of events. • The main driving factors associated with EP are 30ZW, SF, SAM, NINO3.4, and T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been studies on how pastoralists assess and choose the resources required for their livestock, but little research analysing whether livestock are matched to the available resources in a seasonal migratory system by an entire pastoral community over a year. This paper reports a case study of pastoralists in Kazakhstan which shows how the inter-relation of biophysical, institutional and economic factors results in the imperfect matching of livestock numbers to the distribution of forage resources. The research is based on a three-year study using anthropological interviews, formal survey data, and remotely sensed data covering all livestock (25,000 smallstock and approximately 2300 cattle, horses and camels) in a study area of 60,000 km 2 for an entire annual cycle; a combination of methodologies and geographical coverage that provides a comprehensive estimation of the factors that influence the pastoral exploitation of this human-managed, complex ecosystem. The research finds that the pastoralists are subject to a number of limitations in using biophysical niches which might otherwise provide the best feed and water resources for their animals at a particular season and site. Different ecozones offer seasonally-shifting advantages and disadvantages for the livestock, but livestock owners are also economically differentiated. The interplay between economic and biophysical factors exemplifies the multi-faceted character of pastoralists’ decision-making about site selection within a relatively open rangeland tenure system. Only those with the largest livestock holdings distribute their livestock to take advantage of the best seasonal resources. Despite the wide availability of biophysically suitable sites, most livestock owners’ choices are compromised and therefore frequently suboptimal, prompting the conclusion that natural resource matching is constrained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermochronological datasets for the Kyrgyz Tianshan and Siberian Altai-Sayan within Central Asia reveal a punctuated exhumation history during the Meso–Cenozoic. In this paper, the datasets for both regions are collectively reviewed in order to speculate on the links between the Meso–Cenozoic exhumation of the continental Eurasian interior and the prevailing tectonic processes at the plate margins. Whereas most of the thermochronological data across both regions document late Jurassic–Cretaceous regional basement cooling, older landscape relics and dissecting fault zones throughout both regions preserve Triassic and Cenozoic events of rapid cooling, respectively. Triassic cooling is thought to reflect the Qiangtang–Eurasia collision and/or rifting/subsidence in the West Siberian basin. Alternatively, this cooling signal could be related with the terminal terrane-amalgamation of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. For the Kygyz Tianshan, late Jurassic–Cretaceous regional exhumation and Cenozoic fault reactivations can be linked with specific tectonic events during the closure of the Palaeo-Tethys and Neo-Tethys Oceans, respectively. The effect of the progressive consumption of these oceans and the associated collisions of Cimmeria and India with Eurasia probably only had a minor effect on the exhumation of the Siberian Altai-Sayan. More likely, tectonic forces from the east (present-day coordinates) as a result of the building and collapse of the Mongol-Okhotsk orogen and rifting in the Baikal region shaped the current Siberian Altai-Sayan topography. Although many of these hypothesised links need to be tested further, they allow a first-order insight into the dynamic response and the stress propagation pathways from the Eurasian margin into the continental interior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the second part of a new geohazards analysis applied to a large part of the Tien Shan, Central Asia, focused on landslide susceptibility computations that are based on recently compiled geographic, geological and geomorphological data. The core data are a digital elevation model, an updated earthquake catalogue, an active fault map as well as a new landslide inventory. The most recently added digital data are a new simplified geological map, an annual precipitation map, as well as river and road network maps that were produced for the Kyrgyz and Tajik parts of the Tien Shan. On the basis of these records we determine landslide densities with respect to morphological (M), geological (G), river distance (R), precipitation (P), earthquake (E) and fault (F) distance factors. Correlations were also established between scarp locations and the slope angle, distance to rivers, curvature. These correlations show that scarps tend to be located on steeper slopes, farther from rivers and on more convex terrain than the entire landslides. On the basis of the landslide density values computed for each class of the aforementioned factors, two landslide susceptibility maps are created according to the Landslide Factor analysis: the first one considers correlations between the landslide occurrences and the first four factors (MGRP); the second one is based on the first map (MGRP) combined with the seismo-tectonic influence (+ E + F) on landslide distributions. From the comparison of these two maps with actual landslide distributions we infer that the distances to rivers as well as to faults and past earthquakes most strongly constrain the susceptibility of slopes to landslides. We highlight several zones where the landslide susceptibilities computed for the MGRP + E + F factors fit better the observed concentration of landslides than those computed for the MGRP factors alone. For a few zones, both maps produce high landslide susceptibilities that do not well reflect the observed low sub-regional landslide activity; for some cases, we consider that some influencing factors must not have been well taken into consideration, for others we show that we simply had missed landslide detections. At the scale of the mountain range, the computed landslide susceptibility maps fit the observed landslide distributions relatively well, but these maps only represent the spatial component of landslide hazards. Temporal aspects are not considered by this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sanukitoids and their equivalents are rare subduction-related rock types that have been found in modern arc settings and in Late Archean sequences. The investigation of sanukitoids is of particular importance to a better understanding of crust-forming processes and continental growth. In this paper we report zircon U–Pb and Ar–Ar ages and major element, trace element, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope data for the Bieluagaxi dioritic pluton and dikes from the southern part of the West Junggar, NW China. These rocks formed in the Early Permian and show a remarkable geochemical affinity with Cenozoic sanukitoids of the Setouchi Volcanic Belt of SW Japan with high Mg # (48–73) values, Cr (54–539 ppm), Ni (21–197 ppm) contents and Th/La (0.15–0.37) ratios and low Sr/Y ratios (16–27) and Sr (263–442 ppm) contents. They may be generated by the partial melting of subducting sediments, and subsequent melt–mantle interaction. Additionally, the sanukitoids are also widespread in the Karamay–Baogutu area of West Junggar accompanied by high Sr (average 713 ppm) contents and Sr/Y (50–130) ratios, and low Y (6.9–12.6 ppm) contents. The difference in petrochemical characteristics between the Baogutu–Karamay and Bieluagaxi sanukitoids can be explained by the difference in depth of initial melting, origin composition and fractional crystallization. The Baogutu–Karamay sanukitoids were probably formed under eclogitic conditions, while the Bieluagaxi sanukitoids were at a shallower depth. Moreover, the compositional similarity between continental-crust forming rocks and the Bieluagaxi sanukitoids suggests that the sanukitoids genesis could be closely related to the process of continental crust formation. The Late Carboniferous–Early Permian sanukitoids in the West Junggar may be an indicator of anomalous thermal activity. Ridge subduction may play a crucial role in the evolution and growth of the continental crust in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the desiccation of the Aral Sea, Lake Balkhash has become the largest lake of Central Asia with an area of 17,000 km 2 . 70%–80% of the annual inflow into Lake Balkhash is delivered by the Ile River. The Ile Delta, 8000 km 2 large, is the largest natural delta and wetland complex of Central Asia and therefore is of crucial significance for the biodiversity of that region. In this paper, we reviewed the literature available with regard to vegetation, fauna, and biodiversity of the Ile River Delta and South Lake Balkhash Ramsar Site , in order to identify threats and research gaps. Threats are reduced runoff of the Ile River due to increasing water consumption upstream, overfishing, fires ignited by local people, logging for fuel wood collection, over-grazing, and water pollution from upstream. Major research gaps to be addressed are: 1) impact of reduced discharges of the Ile River on the wetland ecosystems and associated changes in livestock grazing, 2) impact of reduced discharges on spawning grounds for fish, 3) upper harvest limits for the fishery, and 4) regrowth of riparian woodlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks into the role of policy-making carried out by various government officials in the Japanese financial community who contributed to the formulation and implementation of Japanese "Silk Road Diplomacy" in the 1990s and 2000s. Furthermore, it examines the role of key Japanese ministries in the overall Japanese geopolitical engagement in Central Asia. When the five Central Asian republics of the USSR became independent in 1991, they soon encountered a proactive engagement of Japanese diplomacy toward them. Besides boosting bilateral assistance and economic ties, official Tokyo has vigorously promoted the Central Asian states' eligibility in many international financial institutions and provided extensive advice on reform policies. Both Japanese and Central Asian officials shared a preference for gradualism in economic reforms as a popular approach alternative to the Western neoliberalism in Central Asian countries, although the extent of embracing gradualism varied upon individual republics and advising officials. Spurred by the failures of the Washington consensus and financial crises of the 1990s, Central Asian gradualism can be regarded as an early precursor attempt at post-neoliberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kazakhstan and other countries in Central Asia are experiencing a rapidly growing HIV epidemic, which has historically been driven by injection drug use, but is more recently being fueled by heterosexual transmission.Methods: This paper examines HIV and HCV infection, as well as sexual and drug-related risks among female partners of men who inject drugs (MWID), comparing females who inject drugs (FWID) to non-injecting female partners on socio-demographic, relationship context, and structural characteristics.Results: The prevalence rate of HIV was 30.1% among FWID and 10.4% among non-IDU female partners of MWID. The prevalence rate of HCV was 89.8% among FWID and 14.8% among female non-IDUs. Less than one-fifth of all female participants had access to HIV education and services or harm reduction programs. Although high rates of non-injection drug use and sexual risk behaviors were found among both FWID and non-injecting female partners of MWID, we found that FWID were more likely to be HIV seropositive (aRR=3.03; 95% CI=1.78, 5.18) and HCV seropositive than non-IDU females (aRR=6.05; 95% CI=4.05, 9.04), were more likely to have used alcohol or drugs before sex (aRR=1.67; 95% CI=1.40, 2.00), and were more likely to have used sedatives, barbiturates, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or painkillers that were not prescribed by a physician (aRR=17.45; 95% CI=8.01, 38.01).Conclusion: Given the spread of the HIV epidemic to heterosexual partners in Kazakhstan, more attention is needed in research, prevention, and policies regarding female partners of male injection drug users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New data show policy convergence among 15 ex-Soviet states in childcare deinstitutionalization. • Countries adopted policies as 'a package' (goals + instruments), as promoted by international actors. • Authoritarian states adopted the same policy instruments, as non-authoritarian states. • Authoritarian states adopted 'modern', non-coercive policy instruments, based on the agentic individual. • World culture and international advocacy appear key to childcare policy instrument choice. Do authoritarian states differ from non-authoritarian ones in their social policy choices? The paper presents new data on childcare deinstitutionalization policies in 15 ex-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The data suggest significant convergence among countries in the adoption of both deinstitutionalization policy 'ends' and 'means', despite drastic differences in political regimes. In particular, I trace the adoption of several instruments, which have been actively promoted by international organizations (e.g., foster care, case management, downsizing of institutions, etc.). The data suggest that authoritarian states in the ex-Soviet region do not differ from non-authoritarian governments in their deinstitutionalization instrument choices, suggesting that political regime is not always a major policy determinant. The results are significant because they show that authoritarian regimes can also select modern, non-coercive instruments for childcare deinstitutionalization, which are underpinned by the idea of agentic actors and the centrality of the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2017 will be a crucial year for the tourism industry in Central Asia. The region is poised to benefit from a common regional tourism development program fostered by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Greater regional integration and closer interaction in three important areas (political, economic and social cooperation) are expected to be the catalyst for tourism development. The aim of this paper is to assess the progress undertaken by the SCO thus far, and to evaluate how the convergence of these three areas of cooperation would contribute to greater opportunities as well as challenges for tourism in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During Soviet era, Kazakhstan enjoyed universal free-of-charge access to childcare. After the commencement of economic and political transition, and the achievement of independence in 1991, attendance in childcare programs dropped significantly. This reduction in attendance was accompanied by a growing gap in access caused by wealth, language, mother's education, and regional disparities. Responding to the reduction in attendance as well as growing inequalities with respect to attendance, the government of Kazakhstan initiated a bold program of reforms aimed at improving access to childcare. This paper represents an initial assessment of the success of these reforms using a unique set of nationally-representative surveys. We found that, in general, the reform was successful in increasing childcare attendance. However, the results of the reform fell short of their target. However, the reform significantly reduced the role of household wealth as a barrier to attendance. Nevertheless, the wealth of a household remains an important determinant of attendance. Additionally, although the reform successfully mitigated gaps in attendance which were based on language spoken and education of mother, regional disparities remain significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Debate continues over whether global cooling or uplift of the Tibetan Plateau provided the first-order driver for the aridification (moisture levels) of Central Asia throughout the Mid–Late Miocene, between about 17 and 5Ma. This review attempts to throw new light on the relations between the aridification and these two key factors. This paper examines the evolution of Miocene climate (both moisture and temperature) within five separate regions of Eurasia to help understand the large scale controls of long-term moisture in Central Asia. The five regions include: (1) Europe, (2) high-latitude Asia, (3) the East Asian Monsoon region, (4) the South Asian Monsoon region, and (5) Central Asia itself, because moisture reaching Central Asia has to firstly cross at least one of the other four regions. Temperature proxy data compiled from these five regions correlate with ocean temperatures from the global deep-sea oxygen isotope records. Furthermore, compiled moisture proxy data from the four regions surrounding Central Asia co-vary and correlate with each other. This can be explained by positive feedbacks between drying and cooling, and supports the assumption that global cooling provides a dominant driving factor for the drying of Eurasia: global cooling reduces the amount of water vapor held in the atmosphere and thereby can cause terrestrial drying. However, in Central Asia the moisture evolution shows less similarity with its surroundings. The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau (including the Tianshan Mountains) could provide a possible explanation for this difference. The changing topography resulting from uplift events over time and space strongly influenced the moisture patterns in Central Asia during Miocene times. Future research on the spatial timing and amplitude of Tibetan Plateau uplift should be useful to understand the moisture processes in Central Asia during the Miocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]