Optimising Water Resources using Earth Observation in Andijan Reservoir, Uzbekistan
ESA’s GDA Water Resources activity is supporting the Asian Development Bank in using Earth Observation to monitor water quality and storage at Andijan Reservoir to improve water supply and irrigation management in Central Asia.
ADD TO E-PORTFOLIO
SUGGEST AN EDIT
Description
Millions of people in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan, Andijan, Djizzak, and Fergana regions face ongoing challenges with access to reliable drinking water and sanitation. A key part of improving the situation is better management of the Andijan Reservoir, an important cross-border water source shared with Kyrgyzstan. However, ageing infrastructure and limited monitoring have made it difficult to manage water supply and quality effectively.
To address this, ESA’s GDA Water Resources activity is working with the Asian Development Bank to bring Earth Observation into a new smart monitoring system for the reservoir. Satellite data from Sentinel-2 is being used to track water quality indicators such as turbidity, chlorophyll-a, and algal blooms, helping identify areas where water conditions may pose risks or change seasonally.
In parallel, EO-based methods are used to estimate how much water is stored in the reservoir by combining satellite imagery with terrain models. This has revealed significant seasonal variation, including a notable increase in storage after the 2024 snowmelt. Together, these insights help improve planning for drinking water supply, irrigation, and seasonal water allocation.
You can find out more about this Case Study on the GDA Impact Sphere: Monitor drinking water resources in Uzbekistan