Earth Remote Sensing Center (Earth Remote Sensing)
The Center for Remote Sensing of the Earth (Remote Sensing) is a multidisciplinary research and structural unit of the University. The Earth Remote Sensing Center was established according to the order of the Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University №688 dated October 31, 2017.


The mission of the center is to coordinate scientific research in the fields of physical geography, hydrology, the geography of agriculture, ecology and cartography, the formation of modern competitive qualified specialists based on the integration of science and education.
Types of activities: conducting fundamental and applied research in important areas of natural, technical, environmental and agricultural industries; providing scientific and methodological guidance to the scientific and technical activities of the teaching staff and students of the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Management of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Purpose and objectives
The Earth Remote Sensing Center specializes in environmental monitoring in the context of global climate change, in particular, floods, natural steppe and forest fires, desertification and degradation processes.
The center conducts fundamental and applied research in the field of management and monitoring of pastures in sandy massifs using data from remote sensing of the Earth, cartographic modeling and forecasting of pasture productivity, the development of scientific and applied justification for the prevention of desertification and degradation processes in natural agricultural systems, etc.
The availability of highly qualified specialists and modern tools and software allows the Earth Remote Sensing Center to solve its tasks in accordance with the latest achievements of science and technology.
The main task of the Earth Remote Sensing Center is to obtain, process and analyze operational Earth remote sensing data in order to provide the most complete, relevant and objective information about the natural resource potential, economic condition, and environmental condition of the region for making management decisions in the context of the SDGs.
Main functions:
- Participation in competitions of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan in priority areas of grant and program-oriented research and research in accordance with the priority areas of industrial and innovative development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- Integration of scientific activity and educational process of specialized faculties: geography and environmental management, mechanics and mathematics and information technology for the use of research results in educational programs and their implementation in the educational process.
- Environmental monitoring using field work and remote sensing data.
- Creation of geoinformation systems.
Our services
- Scientific research in the field of geography and the environment;
- Compilation of thematic maps of various scales;
- Aerial photography using multispectral drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs);
- Creation of a geoinformation database, geoportals and Web applications;
- Monitoring of agricultural lands (arable land, pastures, etc.).
Projects
- Grant financing of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for young scientists (2021-2023):
"Monitoring of land degradation and desertification in Talas district of the Zhambyl region using GIS and remote sensing data for sustainable land use", IRN AR09058590
- Grant financing for the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2022-2024):
"Geospatial approach to assessing the risks of climatic disasters (drought and erosion) and their impact on agriculture in the Western region of Kazakhstan", IRN AP14871372
- Program-targeted financing of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023-2024):
"Scientific and applied justification for the management of natural and agricultural systems to prevent desertification processes in the southern regions of Kazakhstan and to ensure sustainable development of rural areas", IRN BR18574227
- Grant financing of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for young scientists (2023-2025):
"Cartographic modeling and forecasting of pasture productivity in Central Kazakhstan based on Earth remote sensing data for sustainable livestock development", IRN AP19579270
- Grant financing for the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023-2025):
"Monitoring and management of pasture lands of the Moyinkum sand massif in the context of climate change using Earth remote sensing data", IRN AP19680487
Publications
List of publications by year:
2022
1) Tokbergenova, A. A., Zulpykharov, K. B., Kaliyeva, D. M., & Essanbekov, M. Y. (2023). Assessment of the Current Soil-Reclamation State of the Soils of Myrzashol in the Kazakhstan Part (The Hungry Steppe). Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 32(1). (IF=1.8, Q4 WoS). https://doi.org/10.15244/pjoes/155087
2) Poshanov, M. N., Kenenbayev, S. B., Vyrakhmanova, A. S., Smanov, Z. M., Laiskhanov, S. U., Aliaskarov, D. T., ... & Askanbek, A. (2022). The Effects of the Degree of Soil Salinity and the Biopreparation on Productivity of Maize in the Shaulder Irrigated Massif. OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences, 22(1), 58-67. (IF=0.7, Q3). https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2022.58.67
3) Laiskhanov, S. U., Smanov, Z. M., Kaimuldinova, K. D., Myrzaly, N. B., Ussenov, N. E., Poshanov, M. N., & Azimkhanov, B. (2022). A Study of the Effects of Soil Salinity on the Growth and Development of Maize (Zea Mays L.) by using Sentinel-2 Imagery. OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences, 22(3), 323-332. (IF=0.7, Q3). https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2022.323.332
4) Liu, W., Ma, L., Smanov, Z., Samarkhanov, K., & Abuduwaili, J. (2022). Clarifying Soil Texture and Salinity Using Local Spatial Statistics (Getis-Ord Gi* and Moran’s I) in Kazakh–Uzbekistan Border Area, Central Asia. Agronomy, 12(2), 332. (IF= 4, Q1 WoS). https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020332
5) Duan, Y., Ma, L., Abuduwaili, J., Liu, W., Saparov, G., & Smanov, Z. (2022). Driving factor identification for the spatial distribution of soil salinity in the irrigation area of the Syr Darya river, Kazakhstan. Agronomy, 12(8), 1912. (IF= 4, Q1 WoS). https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081912
6) Samarkhanov, K., Abuduwaili, J., Samat, A., Ge, Y., Liu, W., Ma, L., ... & Sadykov, Z. (2022). Dimensionality-Transformed Remote Sensing Data Application to Map Soil Salinization at Lowlands of the Syr Darya River. Sustainability, 14(24), 16696. (IF= 4, Q2 WoS). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416696
7) Smanov, Z. M., Laiskhanov, S. U., Poshanov, M. N., Abikbayev, Y. R., Duisekov, S. N., & Tulegenov, Y. A. (2023). Mapping of Cornfield Soil Salinity in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 24(1). (IF= 1.2, Q4 WoS). https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/155952
8) Kaldybayev, A., Sydyk, N., Yelisseyeva, A., Merekeyev, A., Nurakynov, S., Zulpykharov, K., ... & Chen, Y. (2022). The First Inventory of Rock Glaciers in the Zhetysu Alatau: The Aksu and Lepsy River Basins. Remote Sensing, 15(1), 197. (IF= 5, Q1 WoS). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15010197
2023
9) Nurakynov, S., Kaldybayev, A., Zulpykharov, K., Sydyk, N., Merekeyev, A., Chepashev, D., ... & Fang, G. (2023). Accelerated Glacier Area Loss in the Zhetysu (Dzhungar) Alatau Range (Tien Shan) for the Period of 1956–2016. Remote Sensing, 15(8), 2133. (IF= 5, Q1 WoS). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15082133
10) Xi, X., Steinfeld, D., Cavallo, S. M., Wang, J., Chen, J., Zulpykharov, K., & Henebry, G. M. (2023). What caused the unseasonal extreme dust storm in Uzbekistan during November 2021?. Environmental research letters, 18(11), 114029. (IF= 6.7, Q1 WoS). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad02af
11) Satybaldiyev, B., Ismailov, B., Nurpeisov, N., Kenges, K., Snow, D. D., Malakar, A., ... & Uralbekov, B. (2023). Downstream hydrochemistry and irrigation water quality of the Syr Darya, Aral Sea Basin, South Kazakhstan. Water Supply, 23(5), 2119-2134. (IF= 1.7, Q4 WoS). https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2023.114
12) Laiskhanov, S., Smanov, Z., Kaimuldinova, K., Aliaskarov, D., & Myrzaly, N. (2023). Study of the Ecological and Reclamation Condition of Abandoned Saline Lands and Their Development for Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability, 15(19), 14181. (IF= 4, Q2 WoS). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914181
2024
13) Rakhimova, M., Zulpykharov, K., Assylbekova, A., Zhengissova, N., & Taukebayev, O. (2024). Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and Global Climate Models (CMIP6) to Predict Potential Soil Erosion Associated with Climate Change in the Talas District, Kazakhstan. Sustainability, 16(2), 574. (IF= 4, Q2 WoS). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020574
K.B. Zulpykharov, Ph.D. Candidate, Director
Scopus ID 58055198400, Web of Science ResearcherID: HLG-0490-2023, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0275-2463
Rakhimova M.S., Ph.D., leading specialist
Scopus ID 57216812283, Web of Science ResearcherID:HLF-2207-2023, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9873-105X
Smanov Zh.M., Ph.D. Candidate, leading specialist
Scopus ID 57211743539, Web of Science ResearcherID:GGK-1762-2022, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8182-3978
Zhenisova N.E., Master of Technical Sciences, leading specialist
Scopus ID 58849268400, : https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0618-1204
J.B. Turymtaev, Master of Natural Sciences, specialist
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