A GEOSPATIAL APPROACH TO MANAGING IRRIGATION WATER RESOURCES OF THE BIG ALMATY CANAL

ГЕОКЕҢІСТІКТІК ТӘСІЛ НЕГІЗІНДЕ ҮЛКЕН АЛМАТЫ КАНАЛЫНЫҢ СУАРУ СУ РЕСУРСТАРЫН БАСҚАРУ
ГЕОПРОСТРАНСТВЕННЫЙ ПОДХОД К УПРАВЛЕНИЮ ОРОСИТЕЛЬНЫМИ ВОДНЫМИ РЕСУРСАМИ БОЛЬШОГО АЛМАТИНСКОГО КАНАЛА
Meiram A. Aman Z. Yerbolat K. Aigerim S. Nikam B.R.
January-February 2026 National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan

News of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Series of Geology and Technical Sciences
2026 #2026 Issue 1 32 - 54 pp.

Relevance. The article focuses on the geospatial analysis of water resources of the Big Almaty Canal in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan. The study area is characterized by a diverse landscape, including mountains, hills, valleys, combined with a continental climate featuring hot, dry summers, cold winters, moderate autumns, gradually warming springs. Summer precipitation is limited, generally not exceeding 40 mm, while winter snow accumulation in the surrounding mountains plays a key role in replenishing water resources and supporting irrigation. Originally, the Big Almaty Canal was constructed to irrigate approximately 174.6 thous.ha of agricultural land. However, due to socio-economic changes, climatic variability, and inefficiencies in water management, the irrigated area has decreased to around 80 thousand hectares. The existing water management system faces challenges related to water shortages, uneven distribution, and suboptimal use of irrigation potential. Purpose. This study explores the application of remote sensing techniques to improve water use efficiency and support sustainable irrigation planning. Methods. Satellite imagery from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat-8/9, combined with field observations and historical water use data, was applied to assess irrigated lands, classify crops, analyze the water balance. The study identifies geospatial patterns in water resource distribution, evaluates irrigation efficiency, provides recommendations for optimizing water use while accounting for the district’s climatic and topographical characteristics. Results and conclusions. Spatial analysis of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) revealed that calculated water requirements were lower than tabulated values used by BAC (FAO method), while demand-supply assessment indicated a spatial overabundance of water in several areas. Crop coefficients derived from spatially distributed ETrF were lower than FAO standard Kc values. Backscatter analysis showed significant correlation with NDVI, enabling assessment of crop growth stages. Integrating NDVI and SAR backscatter data provides a comprehensive spatial understanding of crop development, enhancing crop monitoring, yield estimation, and precision agriculture practices, and ultimately supporting informed landscape-level decision-making in water resource management.

climate , crop water demand , geospatial analysis , irrigation efficiency , remote sensing , water resources

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Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
LIESMARS, Wuhan University, China
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bengaluru, India

Kazakh National Agrarian Research University
LIESMARS
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026