From August 20 to 28,2023, within the framework of the Green Central Asia Initiative, a joint scientific expedition to the Tuyiksu glacier in Kazakhstan, the Kishi Almaty river basin, took place. This regional scientific expedition became possible thanks to the joint Memorandum of Cooperation signed in March 2023 by the following organisations, the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Center of category 2 under the auspices of UNESCO in Kazakhstan, the Central Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences in Kyrgyzstan, the Tien Shan Alpine Scientific Center at the Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, State Scientific Institution “Center for Research of Glaciers at the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan”, Agency for Hydrometeorology of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Agency of Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Institute of Geology and Geophysics named after H. M. Abdullayev at the University of Geological Sciences in Tashkent.
The main purpose of the Memorandum is to develop and agree on a common regional methodology for monitoring, assessing and forecasting glaciers in order to strengthen regional coordination and eliminate existing shortcomings for determining and predicting precipitation, snow cover and glacier behavior, as well as developing a common approach for research and development of relevant models in Central Asian region.
The expedition was attended by 25 representatives of the above-mentioned organisations of Central Asia.
The activity on the expedition started in Almaty with a training and discussion of the problems of glaciology in the region. The practical part of the expedition lasted 5 days on the Tuyiksu glacier, where the participants had an excursion along the valley of the Kishi Almaty river (Mudflow trap, Medeu Dam, Shymbulak Ski Resort, Memorial). Besides, the participants got acquainted during five days with the work carried out at the station; how to conduct glaciological research; deciphering the boundaries of the open and buried parts of glaciers for the purpose of compiling a catalog of Central Asian glaciers, various types of surveys on high-mountain lakes.
Within the frame of Green Central Asia and scientifically accompanied by the German Geo Research Centre Potsdam and the CAIAG/Bishkek further expeditions to the Pakhtakor, Inylchek, Abramov and Golubin glaciers in Central Asia are planned until the end of the year.
