ABOUT THE RESEARCH PROJECT:

Project name:  Study of the impact of physicochemical and biological pollution of glaciers on water quality and selected indicators of flora and fauna in the Karatal River ecosystem

The purpose of the project: Study the negative impact of physicochemical and biological pollution on the glacial system of the Zhetysu Alatau Mountains, which determines the quality of water resources, by determining the cause-and-effect relationship between the nature and degree of enrichment with heavy metals and increased bacteriological pollution. This study also explores the use of research results to develop students’ research competencies and functional literacy in the study of basic and specialized disciplines in the natural sciences.

Objectives:

1. To study the condition of alpine glaciers in the upper reaches of the Karatal River. To develop a specialized methodology for collecting and processing spatial and climatic data in hard-to-reach areas of the Zhetysu Alatau system with modern glaciation. The methodology will be based on field research, geodetic surveys, laser scanning, satellite imagery analysis, the use of GIS technologies, non-volatile temperature sensors (thermochrons), and the compilation of materials in a database.
2. To study and analyze the physicochemical and biological composition of meltwater in the river tributaries and along the Karatal River. To conduct research to determine the physicochemical parameters of water in the rivers and streams of the Zhetysu Alatau Highlands. Based on changes in electrical conductivity, turbidity, and mineralization of water in the rivers and streams of the Kora, Chazha, and Tekeli River basins, to identify genetic water types—glacial, meltwater, groundwater, and mixed. Various river feeder types influence the salt composition and, consequently, mineralization, reflecting the specific formation of the physicochemical and biological composition of river and stream water.
3. Conduct a comparative analysis of the physicochemical and biological composition of meltwater in the Karatal River for environmental safety. Study the salt composition of stream water in the non-glacial zone, which is formed by mixing slope, soil-ground, and groundwater in a certain proportion. For non-glacial streams on the left bank of the Kora, Chazha, and Tekeli rivers. Determine the mineralization value in glacial-fed streams and the mineralization value of mixed waters, depending on the ratio of runoff volumes of waters of different genetic categories.
4. Study the influence of the physicochemical and biological composition of water on individual species clones of bacteria, algae, macrozoobenthos, and fish.
5. Create a 3D model of the Karatal River stream flow state using geographic information systems. To examine the characteristics of the river network of the Zhetysu Alatau system, and to construct its digital model necessary for determining its density and structure.
6. Digital elevation model (DEM) construction is widely used in creating and updating hydrological surface models of the study region. We used publicly available SRTM satellite images with a spatial resolution of 30 x 30 meters as input for creating the DEM for the Zhetysu Alatau system. This DEM will be used to create a river network model of the Zhetysu Alatau mountain system for thematic mapping of the area.
7. This project’s technology readiness level (TRL) is 2. Upon completion of the project’s objectives, the TRL will reach 4.

Project idea: To disseminate relevant scientific information on water quality to responsible authorities (the university, the city of Taldykorgan, etc.) and other organizations, as well as important information for agriculture and tourism development in certain areas (the Karatal River region). The project’s sustainability consists of two phases:

— First, identifying the most significant environmental factors influencing changes in the natural landscape, flora, and fauna of the study area.

— Second, providing new scientific information on how to begin restoring the water system in the selected region.

A comprehensive water quality assessment will be effective for all stakeholders in the region. The project addresses fundamental environmental issues in the Zhetysu region and the Republic of Kazakhstan as a whole, and is also partially related to climate change, as intensive glacier melting in Kazakhstan affects water quality in rivers and streams.

The project’s results will be used in training specialists in chemistry, biology, geoecology, and ecotoxicology.

Expected Results:

1. The results of the scientific research conducted within the framework of the Project will be submitted for publication in international peer-reviewed scientific journals indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded database Web of Science and/or having a CiteScore percentile in the Scopus database of at least 35 (thirty-five), as well as two articles or reviews in a peer-reviewed foreign or domestic publication recommended by the Committee on High-Altitude Biology (SHEQAC MSHE RK).
2. It is planned to publish the results of the study of the textbook in a foreign publisher (currently, there is a proposal for publication with LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing is a trademark of: Omni Scriptum GmbH & Co. KG Heinrich-Böcking-Str. 6-8, 66121, Saarbrücken, Germany). The Institute of High Mountain Biology has extensive experience publishing highly regarded articles (WoS or Scopus Q1 to Q3).
3. As part of the project, we plan to train a doctoral candidate in the 8D01503-Biology educational program, based on the approved dissertation topic «Topic,» where the research will focus on initiatives of economic and other activities responsible for conducting environmental impact assessments and environmental assessments of planned economic and other activities in the study region.
4. We plan to publish teaching aids in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
5. Based on the research results, we plan to obtain a patent from domestic patent offices, as well as conclude a licensing agreement for intellectual property assets within the framework of this Project.
6. Expected scientific and socio-economic impact:

— Monitoring of the condition of high-mountain glaciers in the upper reaches of the Karatal River will be conducted.

— A comparative analysis of the chemical composition of meltwater, the dynamics of metal and other pollutant accumulation released with water, and pollutants deposited on melting glaciers and accumulating in the biomass of the ecosystem along the Karatal River will be conducted for environmental safety.

— The impact of physicochemical and biological pollution of water composition on plants, fauna, flora, and bottom sediments will be studied using highly specialized radiography.

— New approaches to phytotesting and comprehensive geoecological studies will be developed, and negative trends in the deterioration of the quality of river water, soil, plants, and bottom sediments will be identified based on maximum permissible concentrations of toxic substances and heavy metals. Molecular diagnostics of bacteria will not only yield new scientific insights, such as how glacier melt affects the bacterial composition of water, but will also provide new applied information for the local community and political leaders in the region. This collaboration between the universities will allow Zhetysu students to gain new experience in conducting research in high-mountain hydrology. A dual degree program is being implemented between the two universities.

— The high socioeconomic impact of the planned research is expected to be driven by the development of a common conceptual framework for the relationship between glacier dynamics and the pollutant cycle, which represents a complex geosystem, and the study of the synergistic effects of chemicals on various ecological groups of animals and plants in glacial rivers.

— A 3D map model of the Karatal River watercourse will be created using geographic information systems.

— The results will be disseminated among potential users, the scientific community, and the general public. Teaching aids and recommendations will be published. The research results will be used in lectures and practical classes on biochemistry, chemical ecology, plant and animal ecology, etc. The research results will be published at national and international conferences and in journals with a non-zero impact factor.