20215:58 PM UTCSatellite images show Russian military buildup along Ukraine borderSatellite imagery captured in recent weeks shows increased Russian military activity in Crimea and on the Ukraine-Russia border self-propelled artillery and armored vehicles during Russian military deployments at Opuk training area [5/11]A satellite view of tanks and equipment at Pogorovo training area near Voronezh [6/11]A detailed view of airborne units on maneuvers during Russian military deployments at Angarsky training area [8/11]A satelitte view of Pogorovo military training area near Voronezh [9/11]A satellite view of Kirovskoye Airbase with Russian military equipment Maxar Technologies/via REUTERSKIROVSKOYE AIRBASE [10/11]A satellite view of Russian military deployments at Opuk training area , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Kyrgyzstan has lost 16 per cent of its glaciers It poses a food insecurity risk not only to the country The shortage of irrigation water in Kyrgyzstan decreases the agricultural crop yield the republic harvested 250 thousand tonnes of crops less than a year before Wheat crops suffered the most damage and its harvest declined by 152 thousand tonnes spring crops were planted late and their growth delayed because of cold weather and the crop yield was very low,” said Azamat Narynbekov chief specialist of the Ministry of Water Management Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Aitbek Koshaliev of Talas region planted safflower in 20 hectares of land the farmer covered only 70 per cent of all costs Farmers in neighbouring Kazakhstan faced the same problem last summer Amid the heat wave and severe drought in six districts of Dzhambyl region authorities had to declare the state of emergency The border areas of Kazakhstan receive irrigation water from the Kirovskoye reservoir in Talas region of Kyrgyzstan water supply stopped due to lack of water.  Photo: Glaciology and Avalanche Safety Agency of the Kyrgyzgidromet Glaciers are the sources of all the rivers in Kyrgyzstan The Kirovskoye reservoir gets water from the so-called ‘Talas’ basin Analysis performed by officers of the Glaciology and Avalanche Safety Agency of the Kyrgyzgidromet showed that the area of glaciers has been reduced by 60 per cent in the last 70 years “If we compare it to the Soviet Union data the glaciers in Talas basin have shrunk by 100 square kilometres but also external issues over time,” said glaciologist Sultanbek Belekov According to the Central Asian Institute of Applied Earth Research the area of glaciation has shrunk across Kyrgyzstan Now glaciers cover 6,684 square kilometres 13 years ago the ice sheet was 10 times the area The country has lost 16 per cent of glaciers in the last 70 years.” almost half of all water resources of Central Asia develop in the republic 90 per cent of this water is used for irrigation the low-flow period occurred once in 6 years The examples are dry years of 2021 and 2023 Authorities must adapt to it by investing more money into improvement of the irrigation system Kyrgyzstan has allocated 11 million 160 thousand dollars every year to solve the problem for the past three years “2 thousand kilometres of canals have been repaired Nearly 150 devices have been replaced by pump plants Over 60 wells have been restored,” said Almazbek Sokeyev 40 per cent of irrigation water does not reach the fields because of clogged canals and leaky pipes one hectare of land wastes 30 per cent more water than arid Egypt and Pakistan “We used to have more water and we could afford not to take care of the irrigation system condition in the past but now it’s time to pass from words to deeds The state must make correct forecasts of water supply in advance the ministry of agriculture needs to provide support to farmers conduct a poll among them and suggest crop species to them to avoid mass planting that causes concurrent irrigation need,” Gulbara Omorova research fellow of the Institute of Water Issues shrinking glaciers will have a negative effect on the food security of Kyrgyzstan A decline in water amount leads to limited access to water not only in agriculture but also to drinking water for the population According to the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic as low as 0.2 per cent (of the gross output) Agricultural products (data as of January to September 2023) consist of: livestock products – 44.3 per cent drastic fluctuations and decline have been seen in the sales of main types of agricultural goods the yield of many crops has declined over five years which leads to the increase in the crop area and eventually to the soil degradation Almost all produce in Kyrgyzstan comes from farms and private subsidiary farming which amounts to 95 per cent of total volume of production their labour and work make the basis of food security of Kyrgyzstan.  “The law provides for protection of glaciers and imposes absolute prohibition of any business near them that can lead to destruction or contamination of glaciers. Therefore, former and current authorities have failed to pass the law for several years,” Omorova said. According to the monitoring data of the Institute of Water Issues and Hydropower and other researches, the amount of water decreases because of degradation of glaciers. According to the glaciologist, it has a negative impact on the energy sector, yield of agricultural crops, and food security. She recommends to improve the effectiveness of the irrigation system and yield of irrigated crops amid increasing water shortage, including via the review of the water protection legislation. “MPs and responsible institutions must review the legislation regarding planning and management of water resources and modernisation of irrigation systems,” Omorova said. She also said that the reconstruction and renewal of existing irrigation systems by means of modern materials and technologies can help decrease water loss and improve the efficiency of water distribution in fields. Moreover, a transition to more efficient irrigation methods instead of regular irrigation methods can help save water. Besides, she believes that it is necessary to raise awareness of farmers on the climate change and on the impact of weather phenomena on the yield of various crops. “We need to raise awareness on adaptation methods and appropriate practices and innovations in agriculture so that farms could adapt and cope with climate change and learned to practise based on sustainability and to use water resources effectively,” the expert said. notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.