Our university is actively engaged in research and knowledge creation aimed at solving critical issues in water resource management, reclamation technologies, and infrastructure development.
University research
Key Focus: Safe water access, sanitation technologies, and hygiene promotion in vulnerable communities.
Description: This research area focuses on developing low-cost, sustainable solutions for water purification, wastewater treatment, and hygiene in water-stressed areas. Core innovations comprise of decentralized filtration systems (such as biochar/sand filters), solar-powered desalination for brackish groundwater, and IoT-enabled water quality monitoring in rural and peri-urban areas. The research area also combines behavioral science methods for enhancing sanitation practices, with a focus on disaster-prone regions and communities influenced by industrial pollution. Technologies are tailored for scalability, ensuring equitable access to clean water and sanitation services in alignment with SDG 6 targets.
National experts: Kamshat Tussupova
Key Focus: Climate-adaptive engineering solutions for water security in arid regions.
Description: This research areas develops advanced hydraulic systems integrating nature-based solutions with smart technologies to enhance Kazakhstan's water infrastructure. Core innovations comprise of AI-optimized dam operations, sediment management by engineered wetlands, and IoT-enabled monitoring networks for aging pipelines. The research areas also integrate flood forecasting systems with decentralized water supply solutions for vulnerable communities, creating resilient systems that address both immediate vulnerabilities and long-term climate adaptation demands.
International collaborators: Ronny Berndtsson
Key Focus: Advanced irrigation technologies for sustainable agricultural production.
Description: This research area integrates satellite remote sensing with precision irrigation technologies to optimize water use in Central Asia's important agricultural regions. The research area develops satellite-guided drip/sprinkler systems which automatically adjust to soil moisture levels and crop water needs, while using solar-powered solutions for smallholder farms. Advanced applications comprise of salinity management strategies for irrigated soils and nutrient recovery systems for agricultural wastewater reuse, addressing both water scarcity and soil quality challenges in Kazakhstan's wheat belt.
Key Focus: Advanced hydrological science applied to ecosystem rehabilitation and sustainable water management.
Description: This research area integrates cutting-edge hydrological modelling (including machine learning-based watershed simulations and isotope tracing for water budgeting) with ecosystem restoration strategies to address critical issues such as the Aral Sea crisis. Researchers employ eco-hydrological interventions (wetland rehabilitation, phytoremediation) alongside advanced monitoring systems (real-time water quality sensors, remote sensing of groundwater-surface water interactions) to restore degraded watersheds. The research area extends to developing predictive frameworks for climate-resilient water management and innovative bioremediation methods for industrial pollution hotspots (e.g., heavy metal sequestration in the Irtysh River basin), integrating fundamental hydrological science with practical restoration solutions for Kazakhstan's vulnerable water ecosystems.
International collaborators: Ronny Berndtsson
Key Focus: Integrated governance for sustainable resource management in transboundary basins.
Description: This research area develops policy frameworks for cooperative management of shared river systems (such as Syr Darya/Amu Darya), optimizing both energy-water synergies (hydropower operations, oil/gas wastewater reuse) and agricultural productivity by modernizing irrigation, crop-water budgeting for staple crops such as wheat, cotton, and climate-resilient farming practices. By aligning water allocation policies with food security demands and energy production, these efforts diminish transboundary conflicts while safeguarding sustainable agricultural productions across Central Asia's arid landscapes.
Key Focus: AI/remote sensing for water resources management.
Description: This research area advances AI-driven remote sensing for sustainable water resource management, integrating multi-sensor satellite data (optical, SAR, LiDAR, hyperspectral) with machine learning and deep learning techniques to enable high-resolution, real-time monitoring of surface water (rivers, lakes, reservoirs), groundwater (using GRACE and InSAR), and cryospheric systems (glaciers, snowmelt). Beyond mapping water bodies, it employs AI-powered land-use classification to assess urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural impacts on hydrology, while tracking dynamic wetland/lake variations for ecosystem conservation. The project leverages predictive modeling to forecast seasonal water availability, drought/flood risks, and snowmelt patterns, optimizing agricultural irrigation, hydropower operations, and disaster preparedness. It also explores climate-resilient water governance through automated early warning systems and cloud-based decision-support tools for policymakers.
International collaborators: Amir Naghibi
