• Energy Research
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Road transport accounts for around 12% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As many high-income countries are moving to decarbonise their road vehicle fleets, Kyrgyzstan – with rapid growth in passenger car ownership – is seeing a significant increase in transport-related GHG emissions and air pollution in urban areas. Whilst a transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is a key part of Kyrgyzstan’s Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement, the potential for successful EV deployment in the region is under-researched. To fill this research gap, this paper presents an assessment of the potential for EV deployment in Kyrgyzstan. Firstly, we present an investigation of the policy and institutional landscape relating to transport and the promotion of EVs in Kyrgyzstan. Secondly, based on research of 50,000 car sales and interviews with 23 key stakeholders in the country, we present analysis of the existing Kyrgyz vehicle fleet. Thirdly, using information ascertained from the interviews and desk-based research, we conduct a Total Cost of Ownership assessment of EVs versus internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) in the Kyrgyz context. We find that under the current conditions, EVs can have a lower total cost of ownership against similar ICEVs in Kyrgyzstan. However, it is evident that this is not typically the case: the analysis in this paper suggests that cost-competitiveness between EVs and ICEVs is more likely for larger and higher-powered vehicles, for which the ICEV version has a higher retail price. Finally, combining analysis of these results and analysis of the current conditions in Kyrgyzstan, trajectories for EV adoption in geographically and economically similar nations, and data from expert stakeholder interviews, we propose a set of policy recommendations to accelerate EV uptake in Kyrgyzstan.

Renewable energy technologies play a crucial role in solving global energy and environmental issues, and the pace of the energy transition directly depends on improving their efficiency. Presently, the development and implementation of renewable energy systems are ensured mainly through state funding, the possibilities of which are limited. The potential of attracting private investments depends directly on their impact on companies’ profitability indicators, and the uncertainty regarding the return on investments is one of the main barriers affecting investors’ decision-making. Based on a vector autoregressive model for analysing the stationary time series, the paper explores the impact of long-term investments and research and development costs in renewable energy technologies on the financial performance of ten of the largest companies operating in this field. The study’s results showed that investments and spending on research and development positively affect such companies’ profitability indicators as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, earnings before interest and tax, net income, and return on investment. The obtained results can be used to substantiate the economic effectiveness of investments in developing and improving renewable energy technologies when forming the companies’ financial policies to support them.

To help answer questions about availability, accessibility, sustainability and other dimensions of energy security, the vulnerability approach concentrates the attention of policymakers on the assessment of risks associated with natural, technical, political and economic factors. This understanding, combined with a focus on energy services (e.g. lighting, heating, telecommunications, mobility, etc.) helps to prioritize actions to achieve the goal of energy security. This paper conceptualizes energy security as low vulnerability of vital energy systems and sustained provision of modern energy services. Taking Tajikistan as a case, this paper highlights key vulnerabilities including neglect of environmental conditions, insufficient energy production capacity, unreliable and expensive energy imports, dwindling power infrastructure causing technical and economic losses, inadequate transparency in the power sector, lack of regional cooperation in energy and water resources sharing, and inadequate financial resources to address these challenges. Three major proposals presented by the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, and the Government of Tajikistan to achieve energy security in Tajikistan are evaluated. Specifically, they lack a focus on energy services and therefore overlook people's socio-cultural context and appropriate energy needs. This paper highlights energy services as critical to people’s wellbeing and socio-economic development.

Based on a case study in central Kyrgyzstan, this paper examines the links between the environment, rural livelihoods, and labor migration. The low diversity of income-generating activities in rural areas increases vulnerability to climate change impacts, other environmental stresses, and market failures. As a result, additional livelihood strategies such as labor migration and engagement in trade or other business ventures have become essential coping strategies for rural households. Remittances sent by migrants contribute not only to individual rural households but also to rural community development. Remittances help repay loans that have been taken out by households for different purposes, particularly for running or expanding farming and animal husbandry. When remittances are spent to increase livestock herds, the resulting intensive use of nearby pastures often leads to overgrazing and land degradation.

Cloud computing is the de facto platform for deploying resource- and data-intensive real-time applications due to the collaboration of large scale resources operating in cross-administrative domains. For example, real-time systems are generated by smart devices (e.g., sensors in smart homes that monitor surroundings in real-time, security cameras that produce video streams in real-time, cloud gaming, social media streams, etc.). Such low-end devices form a microgrid which has low computational and storage capacity and hence offload data unto the cloud for processing. Cloud computing still lacks mature time-oriented scheduling and resource allocation strategies which thoroughly deliberate stringent QoS. Traditional approaches are sufficient only when applications have real-time and data constraints, and cloud storage resources are located with computational resources where the data are locally available for task execution. Such approaches mainly focus on resource provision and latency, and are prone to missing deadlines during tasks execution due to the urgency of the tasks and limited user budget constraints. The timing and data requirements exacerbate the efficient task scheduling and resource allocation problems. To cope with the aforementioned gaps, we propose a time- and cost-efficient resource allocation strategy for smart systems that periodically offload computational and data-intensive load to the cloud. The proposed strategy minimizes the data files transfer overhead to computing resources by selecting appropriate pairs of computing and storage resources. The celebrated results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique in terms of resource selection and tasks processing within time and budget constraints when compared with the other counterparts.

Central Asia is a vital link in the huge Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that follows much of the ancient Silk Road routes in this region. Other than the economic expansion and trade benefits associated with this complex infrastructure system, little is known about the many of the exogenous issues and direct environmental and socioeconomic impacts surrounding the BRI in Central Asia. This opinion paper takes a sharper look at some of these externalities and potential effects through a sustainability lens. Major environmental concerns focus on the proliferation of spur roads that will develop off upgraded or new Belt Roads to promote exploitation of natural resources. Steep, high-elevation landscapes in the Pamirs and Tien Shan pose problems for road location and construction, and the history of road building in less formidable terrain in Yunnan, China is unsustainable, leading to epic landslide and gully erosion, which degrade river systems. Furthermore, many socioeconomic issues may arise like debt dependencies of poor countries, spread of communicable diseases into remote communities, depletion of mineral resources, and implicit compliance with pro-China policies. While some of the poorer post-Soviet nations can reap short-term benefits from BRI plans, it is urged that they assess the long-term sustainability of BRI development and play an active role in determining the conditions for implementation.

Given the demand for green economic growth and sustainable development, many economic practices demonstrate different rates and characteristics of the transition to a green economy, which in one way or another are determined by the initial socio-economic factors and the economic policy implemented by the state. Stimulating green growth and increasing the well-being of society through the rational use of natural resources, natural capital and ecosystems require the elaboration and development of alternative measures for ensuring the rational use of natural resources, the development of environmental innovations and human capital. An equally important factor contributing to green growth is the formation of a state policy of green economic growth, as well as tools and mechanisms for its implementation. The conceptual foundations of a supranational green growth policy have already been developed and the methodological basis has been elaborated. The study of the experience and best practices of green growth in different countries allows us to identify certain shortcomings that require a deeper study and revision of state regulation documents. In addition, the post-Covid economy requires a separate consideration from the point of view of both the relevance of the policy of green growth and the measures and tools for its implementation. Thus, the study of modern trends and principles of the implementation of the state policy of green growth is a topical area of research that requires critical rethinking for the introduction of more constructive measures for reaching the set goals and objectives.

Изилдөөнүн максаты Бишкек шаарынын атмосфералык абасынын булгануу булактары жөнүндө маалымат чогултуу. Төмөнкү милдеттер чечилди: булгануунун негизги булактарын аныктоо, анткени алар шаардын атмосферасына таасир этет. Маалымат чогултуу ыкмалары катары Кыргызгидрометтин жана интернет булактарынын атмосфералык абанын абалы боюнча маалыматтары датчиктердин жайгашкан жерин так көрсөтүү менен колдонулган. Ар бир сенсордон санариптик көрсөткүчтөрдү түстө көрсөткөн шаардын картасы колдонулган. Картаны талдоо анын айрым участокторунда булганган абанын абалын тушунууге мумкундук берди. Макаланы жазууда акыркы 3 жылдагы абанын абалынын диаграммалары колдонулган. Ошондой эле макалада шаардагы абанын булгануу көйгөйлөрүн чечүү менен түзүлгөн кырдаалдан чыгуунун жолдору сунушталат. Бул зарыл: жеке сектордун жана ЖЭБдин жашоочулары тарабынан жагылган көмүрдүн сапатын текшерүү; кошумчаларды колдонуу менен брикеттөө жолу менен Кара-Кечинский аз калориялуу күрөң көмүрдү байытууну колдонуу; Бишкек шаарында автокатализаторлордун бар жогуна массалык текшерүү жүргүзүү. Жок болгон айдоочуларга чоң айып салуу; Катализаторсуз автоунаалардын шаарга киришине тыюу салуу, коомдук транспортту калыбына келтирүү, кичи автобустарды шаардан чыгаруу; шаарды жашылдандырууну улантуу жана бак дарактардын аман калышына көзөмөлдү күчөтүү; ванналарды, сауналарды катуу таштандыларды жана дөңгөлөктөрдү күйгүзүү үчүн текшерүү, ал жерге байкоо камераларын орнотуу; Бишкек шаарынын калктуу конуштарына газ менен жылытууну киргизүү үчүн субсидияларды издөө; ТЭЦти акырындык менен газ отун колдонууга өткөрүү; шаардын башаламан өнүгүшүн токтотуу, Бишкекке жаңы имараттарды курууда алардын энергетикалык эффективдүүлүгүн, ошондой эле шамалдын көтөрүлүшүн эске алуу; жеке сектордун жана турак жай конуштарынын жашоочулары менен тиричилик таштандыларын жагуу абанын сапатына жана калктын ден соолугуна терс таасири жөнүндө түшүндүрүү иштерин жүргүзүү; жайларды жылуулоо боюнча калкка түшүндүрүү иштерин жүргүзүү; иштеп жаткан шаардык таштандыны рекультивациялоо жана аны шаардан мүмкүн болушунча алысыраак жерге которуу, таштандыларды кайра иштетүүчү заводдун курулушун тездетүү. The purpose of the study was to collect information about the sources of atmospheric air pollution in the city of Bishkek. The following tasks were solved: identification of the main sources of pollution as they affect the atmosphere of the city. As methods for collecting information, data from Kyrgyzhydromet and Internet sources on the state of atmospheric air were used with an accurate indication of the location of the sensors. A map of the city was used, which shows in color digital readings from each sensor. The analysis of the map made it possible to understand the state of polluted air in certain parts of it. In writing the article, air condition diagrams for the last 3 years were used. And also the article suggests ways out of the current situation with solving the problems of air pollution in the city. It is necessary: to examine the quality of coal burned by residents of the private sector and CHP; apply the enrichment of Kara-Kechinsky low calorie brown coal by briquetting with the use of additives; conduct a mass check of the availability of car catalysts in Bishkek. Apply high fines to drivers for their absence; prohibit cars from entering the city without catalysts, restore the public transport system, remove minibuses from the city; continue greening the city and strengthen control over the survival of trees; check baths, saunas for burning solid waste and tires, install surveillance cameras there; seek subsidies for the introduction of gas heating in residential areas of Bishkek; gradually transfer the CHPP to the use of gas fuel; stop the chaotic development of the city, when building new buildings in Bishkek, take into account their energy efficiency, as well as the wind rose; conduct explanatory work with residents of the private sector and housing estates about the negative impact of burning household waste on air quality and public health; conduct explanatory work with the population about the thermal insulation of premises; reclamation of the existing city dump and its transfer to the farthest possible distance from the city, accelerating the construction of a waste processing plant. Целью исследования был сбор информации об источниках атмосферного загрязнения воздуха в городе Бишкек. Решались следующие задачи: выявление основных источников загрязнения по мере воздействия на атмосферу города. В качестве методов для сбора информации использовались данные Кыргызгидромета и источники интернета по состоянию атмосферного воздуха с точным указанием расположения датчиков. Использовалась карта города, на которой в цвете изображены цифровые данные о показаниях с каждого датчика. Проведенный анализ карты позволяет понимать состояние загрязненного воздуха в определенных его частях. В написании статьи использовались диаграммы состояния воздуха за последние 3 года. А также в статье предложены пути выхода из создавшейся ситуации с решением проблем загрязнения атмосферного воздуха в городе. Необходимо: исследовать на качество угля, сжигаемого жителями частного сектора и ТЭЦ; применить обогащение Кара-Кечинского низкокалорийного бурого угля путем брикетирования с применением добавок; проводить массовую проверку наличия катализаторов автомобилей в Бишкеке. Применять высокие штрафы к водителям за их отсутствие; запретить въезд в город машин без катализаторов, восстановить систему общественного транспорта, убрать маршрутки из города; продолжить озеленение города и усилить контроль за приживаемостью деревьев; провести проверку бань, саун на предмет сжигания твердых бытовых отходов и шин, установить там видеокамеры слежения; изыскать субсидии на внедрение газового отопления в жилмассивах Бишкека; постепенно перевести ТЭЦ на использование газового топлива; прекратить хаотичную застройку города, при строительстве новых зданий в Бишкеке учитывать их энергоэффективность, а также розу ветров; провести разъяснительные работы с жителями частного сектора и жилмассивов о негативном влиянии сжигания бытовых отходов на качество воздуха и здоровье населения; проводить разъяснительные работы с населением о теплоизоляции помещений; рекультивация имеющейся городской свалки и перенос ее на возможно дальнее расстояние от города, ускорение строительства мусороперерабатывающего завода. Вестник Кыргызcкого национального аграрного университета, Выпуск 1 (64) 2023, Pages 124-135