The article examines the current change in renewable water resources of the Еrtis River basin, taking into account regional climatic and anthropogenic impacts. The study of the river flow of the transboundary Ertis River is extremely important for interstate cooperation of 3 neighboring countries regarding the joint use and protection of water resources. The flow of the Еrtis River has a huge impact on the socio-economic development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as it is the main source of water for the northeastern and eastern parts of the country. The main goal of the authors is to study long-term trends in runoff changes, taking into account climatic and anthropogenic loads in order to develop scientifically justified strategies for sustainable management and protection of water resources of the Ertis transboundary river basin. The results of assessments taking into account climate change show that since 1973 there has been an increase in river flow at gauging stations located in runoff formation zones in mountainous areas, and a decrease in runoff located in the flat part of the basin in the dispersion zone. When assessing anthropogenic factors on river runoff, the method of hydrological analogy, the method of water balance and statistical data on the coefficient of water withdrawal of non-returnable water consumption were used. In general, the assessment of the anthropogenic impact on the basin of the river Ertis shows a decrease in total runoff by 6.08 km3, i.e. by 16.9% of the climatically determined runoff. © National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022.

Central Asia is an area characterized by complex tectonic and active deformation, largely due to the relative convergent motion between India-Arabia and Eurasia. The resulting compressional tectonic regime is responsible for the development of significant seismic activity, which, along with other natural hazards such as mass movements and river flooding, contributes to increased risk to local populations. Although several studies have been conducted on individual perils at the local and national levels, the last published regional model for the whole of Central Asia, developed under the EMCA (Earthquake Model Central Asia) project, is almost 10 years old. With the goal of developing a new comprehensive multi-risk model that is uniform and consistent across the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the European Union, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), funded the regional programme SFRARR (Strengthening Financial Resilience and Accelerating Risk Reduction in Central Asia). The activity was led by a consortium of scientists from international research institutions, from both the public and the private sectors, with contributions from experts of the local scientific community. This study presents the main results of a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) conducted as part of the SFRARR programme to develop the new risk model for Central Asia. The proposed PSHA model was developed using state-of-the-art methods and calibrated based on the most up-to-date information available for the region, including a novel homogenized earthquake catalogue compiled from global and local sources and a database of active faults with associated slip rate information. © Author(s) 2025.

Soils derived from loess are fertile but susceptible to accelerated degradation in response to agricultural practices. The objective of our study was to evaluate the long-term effects of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) integrated with contrasting organic amendments (29 years) to rejuvenate degraded loess via total soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. The replicated study was conducted in concrete lysimeter plots (2 m long × 1 m wide × 60 cm deep) filled with degraded loess materials followed by planting of alfalfa with cattle manure (60 Mg/ha) or vermicompost (27 Mg/ha) amendments. After 29 years, SOC concentration increased by 5.3–6.2-fold under alfalfa–organic amendments compared to the control. A similar impact of alfalfa–organic amendments was observed on the humic acid, fulvic acid, and humin concentrations. There was an overestimation of SOC stocks (151 ± 48 kg/ha) when equivalent depth was used compared to equivalent mass of soil. While the SOC sequestration rates were 614 ± 129, 710 ± 69, and 744 ± 161 kg/ha/year at 0–10 cm depth under alfalfa, alfalfa–manure, and alfalfa–vermicompost treatments, respectively, the SOC sequestration rates decreased with depth. Significantly higher values of carbon pool index (CPI) and carbon management index (CMI) under alfalfa–organic amendments justified our results associated with the SOC sequestration; however, the SOC lability (CL) decreased under alfalfa–organic amendments, when compared to the control. A significant nonlinear inverse relationship (R2 = 0.80) between the CPI and CL suggested that SOC sequestration is significantly dependent on its lability or vice versa. Our results suggested that the impact of alfalfa–organic amendments significantly rejuvenated the degraded loess soils via SOC sequestration. © 2023 The Authors. Land Degradation & Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Astrakhan-Mangyshlak main water pipeline is important for water supply to the population and industrial enterprises of the Atyrau and Mangyshlak regions. Digitalization of the water pipeline is carried out to create a database of the SmartTranWater software package. The database is created to model and optimize the water supply system and determine energy-saving modes of operation of pumping units and volumes of water transportation. The database consists of digital profiles of working sections of the main water pipeline, identification of parameters of the linear part of sections, and creation of digital objects at the water pipeline stations. Regression analysis of the machine learning method was used to identify the initial data. The following initial data were updated: profiles of sections, location of water pumping stations in the main water pipeline, characteristics of pumps, hydraulic parameters of pipelines, nodes of sections, water withdrawals, and looping of pipelines. For each section, a linear pipeline part was built with the introduction of pipe elevations depending on the kilometrage. All pipeline nodes were taken as three object types: section nodes, withdrawal nodes, and pipe-looping nodes. Pumping units in stations are stored as a station-related objects, which are linked by rotor type and electric motor type. For each operating pumping unit, depending on the pumping mode and the pumped water, the values of the created heads and power consumption were determined. © 2023, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. All rights reserved.

This study examines the degradation of mountain pastures in Southeastern Kazakhstan, which is attributed to overgrazing and other human activities. Soil degradation progresses more slowly than vegetation changes, but its effects are severe, with a reduction in silty and dusty fractions to 30% and an increase in sandy fractions, which lowers the water retention and makes the soil more vulnerable to erosion. As a result, key pasture grasses, such as cereals (Poaceae) and legumes (Fabaceae), are being replaced by inedible and toxic plants with deep root systems. Pasture productivity varies seasonally, with a total biomass yield at 0.420.05 t/ha in spring, peaking at 1.280.40 t/ha in summer, and declining to 0.360.007 t/ha in autumn, while the edible portion follows a similar pattern, ranging from 0.310.01 t/ha in spring to 0.970.28 t/ha in summer and 0.280.021 t/ha in autumn. The proportion of weeds and poisonous plants remains high throughout the year (22–25%), indicating a progressive transformation of the plant community under grazing pressure. Field studies confirm significant shifts in vegetation, with nutritious forage species being replaced by unpalatable and invasive plants. These changes threaten biodiversity and pasture sustainability, emphasizing the urgent need for rotational grazing and sustainable management practices to restore degraded pastures and ensure a long-term productivity for livestock farming in Kazakhstan.

The Ile River is the main water artery of the Lake Balkhash basin and the main fresh water resource supplying the south-eastern part of Kazakhstan. Increasing human economic activity makes it necessary to assess the anthropogenic load of the river on various ecosystems, including possible harmful effects. The assessment of anthropogenic load on the Ile River ecosystem was realized by the anthropogenic load fraction indicator and by the values of the chemical substance inflow modulus. For this purpose, the Ile River was divided into 3 sections: section I—from the border post HP Dobyn to 164 km above Kapshagai hydroelectric power plant (HPP); section II—between the points 164 km above and 37 km below Kapshagai HPP; and section III —from 37 km below HPP to Ushzharma village. The anthropogenic load strongly depends on the share of anthropogenic impact contributed by pollutants. Characteristic pollution components are copper, and in some cases zinc, ammonium, and nitrite nitrogen. The assessment of anthropogenic load also considers organic and biogenic substances in the chemical composition of river water. The variability in the volume of dissolved chemical inflows in different sections of the river made it possible to assess the transformation of anthropogenic load along the length of the Ile River. © 2025 by the authors.

Abstract: The dielectric analysis of nanostructured layers of semiconductor materials is important for understanding the characteristics and design of nanocomposites with the prospect of their further application in solar cells and piezoelectric transducers, as well as catalytic particles and sensors in determining the molecular composition of gases. The impedance spectroscopy of a solid makes it possible to characterize various contributions to the resistive and capacitive properties of an electronically inhomogeneous condensed matter and to characterize them separately. In this paper, we study the impedance spectra for nanostructured ZnO layers synthesized by the hydrothermal method on a chip based on Al2O3 with presprayed interdigital gold electrodes, and the dependence of the impedance spectra on the measurement temperature and the concentration of the supplied gas is studied. © 2022, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

This study investigates the presence of microplastics in tap drinking water and evaluates the efficacy of various sorbents for their removal in the context of Kazakhstan’s water treatment system. Water samples taken in the cities of Kokshetau and Krasny Yar (Akmola region) were analyzed. Microplastics were detected in all samples, with concentrations ranging from 2.0 × 10−2 to 6.0 × 10−2 particles/dm3, predominantly in fiber form (74.1%). Outdated technologies and non-compliance with treatment regimens contribute to poor water quality, including high turbidity (87% of samples), color deviations (40% of samples), and acidity issues (20% of samples). To address these challenges, the study examined the sorption efficiency of different sorbents, with results indicating high retention rates (82.7–97.8%) for microplastic particles. Notably, aliphatic structures like PE and PP exhibited higher retention than PET. Among the sorbents tested, the synthesized carbon sorption material (CSM) demonstrated the highest efficiency in both microplastic retention and improvement in water quality parameters, making it a promising option for water treatment facilities and household filters. © 2024 by the authors.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present significant environmental and health hazards due to their inherent persistence, ubiquitous presence in the environment, and propensity for bioaccumulation. Consequently, the development of efficacious remediation strategies for soil and water contaminated with PFAS is imperative. Biochar, with its unique properties, has emerged as a cost-effective adsorbent for PFAS. Despite this, a comprehensive review of the factors influencing PFAS adsorption and immobilization by biochar is lacking. This narrative review examines recent findings indicating that the application of biochar can effectively immobilize PFAS, thereby mitigating their environmental transport and subsequent ecological impact. In addition, this paper reviewed the sorption mechanisms of biochar and the factors affecting its sorption efficiency. The high effectiveness of biochars in PFAS remediation has been attributed to their high porosity in the right pore size range (>1.5 nm) that can accommodate the relatively large PFAS molecules (>1.02–2.20 nm), leading to physical entrapment. Effective sorption requires attraction or bonding to the biochar framework. Binding is stronger for long-chain PFAS than for short-chain PFAS, as attractive forces between long hydrophobic CF2-tails more easily overcome the repulsion of the often-anionic head groups by net negatively charged biochars. This review summarizes case studies and field applications highlighting the effectiveness of biochar across various matrices, showcasing its strong binding with PFAS. We suggest that research should focus on improving the adsorption performance of biochar for short-chain PFAS compounds. Establishing the significance of biochar surface electrical charge in the adsorption process of PFAS is necessary, as well as quantifying the respective contributions of electrostatic forces and hydrophobic van der Waals forces to the adsorption of both short- and long-chain PFAS. There is an urgent need for validation of the effectiveness of the biochar effect in actual environmental conditions through prolonged outdoor testing. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.

The possibility of producing cement clinker using low-energy, resource-saving technologies is studied. The composition of industrial waste for low-energy-intensive production of Portland cement clinker at factories in Southern Kazakhstan is analyzed. The possibility of replacing the deficient iron-containing corrective additive with “Waelz clinker for zinc ores” is shown. “Waeltz clinker from zinc ores” as part of the raw material charge performs several tasks: it is a ferrous corrective additive, works as a mineralizer for clinker formation processes, introduces coal into the charge and allows one to reduce the consumption of natural fuel. The processes of burning raw mixtures, wholly or partially consisting of industrial waste, are completed at 1350 °C. This reduces the consumption of main burner fuel for clinker burning and reduces CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. High-quality cement clinker is obtained based on raw material mixtures with Waeltz clinker from zinc ores from the Achisai Metallurgical Plant, phosphorus slag, coal mining waste from Lenger mines and sodium fluoride. The phase composition and microstructure of low-energy clinkers are revealed. Involving industrial waste in raw material circulation will reduce environmental pollution and improve the environment.