03.09.2024 – SDGnexus Network: Summer Highlights

Research Paper: Land Access and Feeding Strategies in Kazakhstan's Livestock Husbandry

Dr. Sarah Robinson and Prof. Dr. Martin Petrick have published an article in the Journal of Agricultural Systems titled "Land Access and Feeding Strategies in Post-Soviet Livestock Husbandry: Evidence from a Rangeland System in Kazakhstan." The study examines the role of pastures, arable land, and fodder markets in livestock feeding strategies in Kazakhstan. Key findings include:

• Intensification of livestock systems globally affects production efficiency and environmental impacts.
• The study identifies factors influencing feeding strategy choices and variations across different farm sizes.
• Larger producers rely more on pastures, while intensification is limited by access to arable land and credit.
• Pasture-based production emerges as the primary growth strategy when fodder availability is constrained.

The full article is available here.

Book Chapter: The Politics of Water Governance in Central Asia

Dr. Aliya Assubayeva, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Jenniver Sehring and Bota Sharipova from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, has contributed a chapter to the Handbook on the Governance and Politics of Water Resources (Edward Elgar Publishing). The chapter, titled "The Politics of Water Governance in Central Asia: Institutionalizing River Basin Management," analyzes water governance in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, focusing on problem perceptions, policy priorities, and the interplay between international and national actors. It also examines formal and informal mechanisms for stakeholder participation in basin councils.

Read more about the book chapter here.

Colombian-German Collaboration in Research Renewed

The German Research Foundation (DFG) and Colombian universities have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding in 2024, continuing their commitment to joint funding opportunities for bilateral research projects under a Standing Open Procedure (SOP). Researchers from both countries can submit proposals for funding periods of up to three years, subject to positive evaluations from both organizations. The projects will compete on intellectual merit alongside other proposals.

For more details, read here.

Dr. Rahat Sabyrbekov Joins ZEU as Visiting Professor

Dr. Rahat Sabyrbekov has joined the Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU) at Justus Liebig University Gießen as a Visiting Professor in the frame of the SDG^nexus Network project for the remainder of the year. An economist with expertise in environmental, climate, and development issues, Dr. Sabyrbekov is also a researcher at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and a Visiting Scholar at the Davis Center at Harvard University.

Learn more about Dr. Sabyrbekov's work here.

Participation in Collaborative Workshop on Model Development and Testing at COST Action WATSON Project

Dr. Alicia Correa participated in August in a collaborative workshop organized by COST Action WATSON—WATer isotopeS in the critical zONe, a European network. The event, held at BOKU University in Vienna, Austria, focused on a modeling study involving code development, testing, and creating training materials. The workshop brought together experts from BOKU University, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Lund University in Sweden, and the Slovak Academy of Sciences, fostering an enriching exchange of knowledge and ideas.

Book Chapter: The Agency of IOC-UNESCO in Shaping Marine Spatial Planning as a Novel Policy Solution

Pavlina Miteva-Bölter has published a book chapter on marine spatial planning in the monograph Governing Oceans: Policy Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (Edward Elgar Publishing). The chapter explores the agency of IOC-UNESCO in shaping marine spatial planning (MSP) policies through qualitative content analysis of selected IOC-UNESCO publications. It identifies key narratives and policy elements highlighting the organization's influence in this field.

Read more about the book chapter here.

Participation at the Global Goals 2024 Conference in Utrecht

Dr. Aliya Assubayeva represented the SDG^nexus Network at the GLOBALGOALS2024—The Future of the SDGs conference held on August 29-30, 2024, at Utrecht University, Netherlands. The conference featured discussions on sustainable development, innovation, and collaborative solutions leading to the United Nations Summit of the Future. Dr. Assubayeva presented collaborative work with Dr. Jorge Marco from the University of the Andes, Colombia, on "Methodological Approaches on SDG Interlinkages in the 2030 Agenda." She also participated in the Earth System Governance Taskforce on SDGs to brainstorm future research directions.

More information about the conference is available here.

Upcoming SDG^nexus Network Seminar Series

Join us online for our upcoming autumn seminar series:

• September 18 – Dr. Rahat Sabyrbekov: "Climate Economics: From Valuation of Ecosystem Services to Climate Policy."
• November 13 – Kalina Fonseca: Topic TBA.

Water Security and Climate Change Conference 2024

The SDG^nexus Network is proud to host the Water Security and Climate Change Conference (WSCC24) from October 9-11, 2024, at Justus Liebig University in Gießen, Germany. This annual event is a platform for scientific, technical, and policy-oriented water management and resilience discussions. This year's conference theme is "Water Management for Urban-Rural Resilience," focusing on sustainable water supply solutions for both cities and rural areas.

For more information, visit the conference webpage: www.uni-giessen.de/wscc.