The Eurasian Climate Brief

42 Episodes

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Vanishing before our eyes: the race to save the Caspian Sea

2026-10-0825:57

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth. It is also facing an escalating environmental crisis that has seen its water levels fall by 2.5 meters over the past 20 years. This dramatic retreat risks not only ecological, but also human and geopolitical upheaval across the entire region. How are the bordering countries responding to those challenges – and do the current measures suffice? To find out, Boris spoke to Vadim Ni, founder of 'Save the Caspian Sea'. --- The Eurasia...

Melting giants: the history of glaciology across Central Asia

2026-07-0127:39

Melting glaciers are often regarded as icons of climate change. But how were they viewed in the early days of glaciology and, more specifically, climate change research? When and how did scientific research of the Central Asian glaciers begin? And why is this still relevant for us today? Angelina speaks to environmental historian and a historian of science Dr. Katja Doose about the history of glacier research in Central Asia. --- The Eurasian Climate Brief is a podcast dedicated to clim...

Breathless in Bishkek: the struggle for clean air in a city contested by geography, urban development and climate change

2026-05-1130:31

The Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek ranks among the largest cities in all of Central Asia. Located close to the country's border with Kazakhstan, it lies just off the northern fringe of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range. While contributing to a scenic panorama, these geographic factors also challenge the city's urbanistic ambitions. A largely fossil-based energy generation, a seemingly opaque urban sprawl and the challenges of a changing climate are thoroughly testing the city's limits. How does the challen...

Saving Balkhash: Kazakhstan's largest lake under threat from extractivism and climate change

2026-02-1840:45

Lake Balkhash is the 14th largest lake in the world and one of the largest in Asia. Its ecological importance is matched by the number of threats it has been facing for decades: copper mining, hydropower, agricultural development – and now a nuclear power plant. How to reach local communities and experts, scientists and policy-makers, cultural institutions, businesses, and the wider public in order to transmit the significance of this unique body of water? That's what we discussed with Aigeri...

From Central Asia to the Amazon: preparing for COP30

2025-11-0928:47

Central Asia is among the world's most vulnerable regions to climate change. Already today, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are facing various climate consequences: from droughts to landslides, from glacier melts to flash floods. At the same time, this region's energy landscape contains almost all energy sources from fossil to renewables; to a varying degree, the energy transition is underway, even if not at the desired pace. What are the five Central Asian del...

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