The Uzbekcosmos Agency, together with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), is developing a project to create a drought monitoring system for Central Asia. It is based on Earth remote sensing technologies.

The initiative aims to increase the resilience of agriculture to climate change in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Roscosmos is funding it.

Photo: “Uzbekcosmos”.

 

Drought remains one of the most acute environmental threats to Central Asian countries. According to a study published by a group of international authors in the journal Water, it affects about 43% of the region’s agricultural areas every year.

The ESCAP presentation noted that severe drought has affected more than 75% of Central Asia since 2019, more than at any time since 1981.

The space-based drought monitoring system is intended to be a response to this challenge. Within the framework of this project, Central Asian countries will receive assistance in improving drought management systems, using satellite data and using technical resources. It is planned to create a system for operational drought monitoring and a cloud-based crop monitoring system that will take into account the agroclimatic features of each country.

National workshops on drought monitoring systems based on satellite data and geospatial tools have already been held in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The event in Tashkent was attended by representatives of relevant ministries and departments, international organizations, the scientific community, as well as experts from China, India and Russia. Uzbekistan’s national priorities in drought monitoring were discussed, including the connection with the soil salinization monitoring system being developed. Participants exchanged experiences in using satellite data, learned about ESCAP’s regional drought management mechanisms and the possibilities of using these systems.

ESCAP space program economics specialist Kareff Rafisura told Gazeta that the drought in Central Asia covers large areas, so it is important to organize monitoring at the regional level.

“Early warning and drought monitoring systems allow for timely responses to threats and minimization of their impact on agriculture. It is important for national and regional structures to join forces to develop data-driven solutions,” the specialist noted.

Kareff Rafisura. Photo: “Uzbekcosmos”.

At the same time, the capabilities of countries, primarily technical ones, differ from each other. As an example, Rafisura cited Uzbekistan, where a developed digital infrastructure already exists, digital platforms of the ministries of agriculture and water resources are in place, which can be integrated into future solutions. The expert noted that each country should implement technologies taking into account its own characteristics, and a regional approach will allow for joint efforts.

“I wouldn’t even talk about ‘support’ – the country already has significant potential. Therefore, I would rather talk about partnership and joint work. Moreover, in the future, Uzbekistan itself will be able to help its neighbors in implementing such initiatives,” Rafisura said.

The new system will be relevant in both the short and long term. Kareff Rafisura noted that in the near future, space monitoring data will be able to help in water distribution, preparation of irrigation systems and crop planning. In the future, the project will help identify “drought hot spots” and develop recommendations for policymakers.

As Behruz Mirzayev, chief specialist of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology Transfer at Uzbekcosmos, told Gazeta , the key benefit of the system is decision-making based on verified data. Already now, the agency uses satellites to classify crops, monitor their condition, fertilizers and water consumption. Now this experience will be expanded to the area of ​​drought. In cooperation with ESCAP, Roscosmos and agencies of India and China, it is planned to create a specialized platform for the Central Asian region.

Behruz Mirzaev. Photo: Uzbekcosmos.

The satellite monitoring system will provide more accurate and timely information on drought.

“The fundamental difference is that it is possible to monitor huge territories simultaneously. This reduces the human factor and costs, and the data will be processed using artificial intelligence,” Mirzaev explained.

The system will be accessible to both government agencies for strategic decision-making and farmers as its main beneficiaries. For example, if the forecast shows that there is not enough moisture in the soil this season, they will be able to adjust their sowing plans in advance and avoid losses.

One of the main objectives of the project will be the training and advanced training of personnel in order to expand the use of space data and geographic information systems.

Photo: “Uzbekcosmos”.

According to the Uzbekcosmos specialist, the introduction of the system will directly affect the management of water resources. Their use is already being monitored at the level of specific fields in the Fergana, Kashkadarya and Samarkand regions. For this, the transpiration method is used, which allows tracking how efficiently farmers use water.

“We monitor the use of water resources at the field level and transmit the data to the relevant ministries. This helps us see which farmers use water more productively and achieve better results, and their experience can be shared with others,” he noted.

However, according to Rafisura, the monitoring system alone will not solve all the problems.

“Information alone is not enough. Systemic coordination is needed between its producers (Uzbekcosmos) and users: the Ministry of Agriculture, water agencies and other structures. This is a long process, for years to come. But the project is already laying the foundation,” the expert noted.

On the second day of the workshop, experts went to the Arnasay district of the Jizzakh region to conduct field validation of the data. They inspected the fields, talked to local farmers, checked the condition of the crops and the impact of drought and salinity on the harvest.

As noted by Uzbekcosmos, a roadmap is being prepared based on the results of the seminar, which will become a guideline for further work. It will include the coordination of key indicators and drought indices with national agencies, the selection of pilot territories, the organization of practical trainings, as well as events aimed at developing monitoring systems and exchanging experience at both the national and regional levels.

Other departments will also be involved in the development of the system: the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management, the Hydrometeorological Service, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which will become the main users of the platform in the future.

The system is expected to become not just a monitoring tool, but a basis for making management decisions in the agricultural and water sectors. It will help improve the accuracy of crop yield forecasts, provide early warning of drought risks, and ultimately reduce the vulnerability of agriculture to climate change.

The pilot project is designed for two years, but cooperation with Uzbekistan will continue.

Google machine translated

https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2025/08/29/drought-monitoring-system/