Central Asia is highly vulnerable to global warming and natural hazards. The region allows us to study not only changes and impact in the water cycle but also a broad range of other natural, often hazardous, phenomena. Central Asia is influenced by different atmospheric systems, and it has a significant influence on weather and climate on both a regional and global scale. Active geodynamic processes due to the continuous orogenesis induce high seismicity and frequent landslides in the region with major mountain systems (Tian Shan, Altai und Pamir). The highly dynamic regional geological regime and ongoing Global Change, coupled with growing populations and economic development, are responsible for the rising impact of natural disasters in Central Asia, which include floods and droughts, landslides, rapid glacier melt, glacial lake outburst, mudflows, avalanches and earthquakes. These events often result in human and economic losses, environmental problems, and have a strongly negative impact on sustainable development and societal welfare in Central Asia. Here GCOCA contributes to solve major societal challenges, such as the protection of natural resources and against natural hazards.

Our activities starting in the early of 2000 benefit from multi-year cooperation on all societal levels, interactions with stakeholders, governmental agencies and ministries, a multitude of successful projects, and a wide range of ground infrastructure. With our interactions with the political level, we also address and foster the political dialogue on environmental and water security issues and help preventing conflicts and strengthen transboundary cooperation on Global Change impacts in Central Asia.

In cooperation with the Central Asian Institute of Applied Geosciences (CAIAG), we maintain a network of remotely-operated multiparameter stations (ROMPS) in Central Asia. The stations continuously acquire a multitude of hydrometeorological parameters that are used to study changes in climate, water availability, and glacier mass balances. Complementary to the ground-based measurements, the water availability of a large number of reservoirs, lakes and rivers is monitored remotely with radar altimetry. We develop models of tectonic deformation both at depth and at the surface based on (1) continuous and temporary seismic and GNSS networks across the mountain ranges of Central Asia, enabling detailed lithospheric imaging, (2) highly resolved seismicity distributions, (3) earthquake fault mechanisms and (4) the space-geodetically derived kinematic surface displacement field. To better understand climate dynamics of Central Asia and influence of atmospheric systems, and in particular regional effects due to highly diverse orography, we are developing long climate proxy data time series from lake sediments and speleothems. Together with measurements of the stable isotope composition of recent precipitation, we aim to understand the interaction of different air masses and regional climate change for the whole Holocene period and beyond (tipping points, transitions into warmer climates). Lake sediments and speleothems extend our records back through time, while monitoring of modern cave and lake system (including citizen science activities on hydrological monitoring) enable us to mechanistically understand and calibrate our proxies. By utilizing geomorphic records of past tectonic activity, river-response to climate change, and glacial advances, we aim to complement our other paleoarchives to gain a holistic understanding of the dynamic and changing landscape of Central Asia.

GCOCA operates a wide range of instrumentation, most immediately free to national authorities, scientists and the public. With the multi-language Sensor Data Storage System, hosted at CAIAG, GCOCA offers access to multi-parametric time series from more than 500 sites. For many more data sets, we are contributing to various international initiatives and data bases, benefiting from our open data policy.

• Seismological Stations
  GEOFON AD Seismic Network (open)
  https://geofon.gfz-potsdam.de/doi/network/1M (restricted until 08/2024)
  GEOFON KC Seismic Network (open (CAIAG))
  GEOFON KD Seismic Network (restricted)
  GEOFON CK Seismic Network (open)

• Hydrometeorological Network
  Hydrometeorological Data of ROMPS-Netzwork in Central Asia (Data: https://sdss.caiag.kg )

• Isotope precipitation and cave monitoring Network
  Isotope precipitation database (under construction)
  Speleothem climate archives
  PANGAEA (for published)

• GNSS-Sites
  Remotely Operated Multi-Parameter Stations | ROMPS Network (open for GFZ and for national authorities of the local operators)

• Varved lake sediments and limnological monitoring
  VARDA - Varved Sediments Database
  PANGAEA (for published)

• Contributions by Central-Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences | CAIAG (Bischkek, Kirgistan
  GeoNode-Based Geodata Repository: http://geonode.caiag.kg (open)
  Sensor Data Storage System: http://sdss.caiag.kg/ (open)

• Focus Site Central Asia – Palaeoclimate, Environment and Climate Change 
• Hydrometeorological and Geodetic Network in Central Asia