In the territory of Kyrgyzstan, where more than 90% consists of mountains, there are about 10,000 glaciers. The study of this natural wealth is conducted by only eight scientists, among whom the only woman is Gulbara Omorova. In an interview with Azattyk Asia, she shares her efforts to preserve glaciers that are under threat of extinction.
For 37-year-old Gulbara Omorova, the spring and summer seasons are a time for active research. During this period, she needs to survey 10 glaciers and numerous potentially dangerous lakes.
“We monitor glaciers and natural disasters, conducting expeditions to collect data,” Gulbara explains about her activities.
Gulbara is studying in graduate school specializing in "hydrology, water resources, hydrochemistry." She completed an international climate protection program named after Alexander von Humboldt in Germany and is currently working at the Institute of Water Problems and Hydroenergy of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan. Her research focuses on the impact of global climate change on glaciers.
“The glacier is retreating almost a kilometer”
“In recent years, the glaciers we study have not been accumulating snow,” she shares her observations. “In some places, glaciers are losing up to 30% of their mass. For example, in the Talas Ridge, the decrease is up to 40%. The first region that will face water shortages due to glacier melting will be Talas, followed by Batken.”
Previously, Gulbara conducted expeditions alone, but realizing the risks, she gathered a team of students interested in the mountains.
Expeditions take place at an altitude of over 3,700 meters. In addition to the necessary equipment, the researcher takes a 10-kilogram ice drill and other tools with her. Climbing the mountains requires significant effort, but scientific work inspires her.
“We study the snow cover on glaciers to predict how much water there will be in spring,” explains Gulbara Omorova. “We conduct continuous monitoring of the Adygene glacier, where the first observation was recorded in 1964. The established markers on the ‘tongue’ of the glacier indicate that by 2024 it will retreat almost a kilometer. This is a significant loss: every year the glacier recedes by 15–16 meters.”
The condition of the glaciers affects the groundwater level in the lowlands, the scientist emphasizes. In recent years, a decline has been observed, which raises serious concerns.
“As a result, we may face a shortage of drinking water, especially considering the population growth in Bishkek, weak infrastructure, and climate change,” warns the expert.
According to Omorova, the Adygene station is one of two research points in Kyrgyzstan where conditions for observations are maintained. A few years ago, it was equipped by Czech specialists, and now Kyrgyz scientists independently support the station.
In addition to glaciers, scientists also monitor mountain lakes that may pose a breach hazard. In the event of a disaster, water could reach Bishkek or flood nearby settlements, the scientist warns.
“In Aksai and Ala-Archa, there are many mountain lakes. We monitor their condition: when a lake fills up, its breach can cause catastrophic consequences. This could affect villages located near Bishkek, depending on the volume and nature of the breach. Continuous monitoring is necessary,” she explains her goals.
Lack of funding and incident with vandals
For a long time, Gulbara's work remained in the shadows. She did not share the difficulties of her profession and the support she receives from the government. The situation changed after vandals broke into the Adygene scientific station, the only one of its kind.
“Last April, we were informed that our station had been vandalized. When we arrived, everything was in terrible condition. It’s hard to describe in words. We were waiting for help: who could restore all this? After I started raising the issue, sharing photos, and talking about the difficulties, support began to come: they bought food, allocated 200,000 for the restoration of the station. We receive salaries, but there is no help for equipment and expeditions,” she recounts.
Gulbara's office in Bishkek is modestly furnished. She has no laboratory, and funding for science in the country remains low. The ice drill necessary for research was acquired thanks to sponsorship support.
“We have only one ice drill. We were able to acquire it with the help of sponsorship from ‘Aiyl Bank’ to monitor glaciers. We would like this to be noted and conditions for work to be created, as we study breach-prone lakes at Adygene,” she adds.
“The scale of losses is enormous. We need to sound the alarm”
Gulbara believes that the problem requires attention from all government structures: lawmakers should adopt laws to protect the ecosystem, and the government should work on staffing and funding.
“We cannot stop the glacier melting process — it is a natural phenomenon. However, we can slow it down. A law on glaciers should be developed at the legislative level, deforestation and the construction of cable cars in the mountains and near glaciers should be prohibited, and reserves and natural areas should be protected. We need to train specialists and improve scientific monitoring, as there is a shortage of personnel. Finding specialists in this field is a big problem,” she emphasizes.
Gulbara shares that she has been offered jobs abroad, but she is in no hurry to leave. At the moment, she plans to write a dissertation on the glaciers and lakes of Kyrgyzstan. According to her, scientists and authorities still use data collected in the 1970s.
“In the 1970s, when expeditions were conducted in the Soviet Union, 8,164 glaciers were counted. However, the methodology was imperfect, and the inventory was complicated. We still use this data,” she explains.
Gulbara adds that 10 years ago, a team of scientists conducted landscape surveys that showed many glaciers had broken into pieces. Now their number is about 10,000, and they have significantly decreased in size.
The National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, which Azattyk Asia contacted regarding current work on glacier preservation, is not yet ready to provide comments.
“Glacier melting is a global problem, but this process is occurring much faster here. I participated in expeditions in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. We supply water to our neighbors, but we also experience water shortages. We need to reconsider these issues. The scale of losses is enormous. We need to sound the alarm and start now — to improve monitoring and research,” the glaciologist is convinced.
The record “Although we cannot preserve glaciers, we can slow their melting.” An interview with a glaciologist from Bishkek about the scale of the problem was published for the first time on K-News.
