Note: Intro -- Series Preface -- Contents -- Introduction -- References -- Turkmenistan: Landscape-Geographical Features, Biodiversity, and Ecosystems -- 1 General Information -- 2 Landscape and Environmental Peculiarities of the Territory -- 3 Deserts and Their Biodiversity -- 4 Mountains and Their Biodiversity -- 5 Oases and Their Biodiversity -- 6 Ecosystems -- References -- The Karakum Desert -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Landforms -- 3 Climate -- 4 Water Resources -- 5 Soils -- 6 Vegetation -- 7 Animals -- 8 Economy -- References -- Climate Change in Turkmenistan -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Past and Present Climate and Water Resources -- 2.1 Climate and Physical Environments -- 2.2 Hydrological Network -- 2.3 Climate Change in the Past -- 3 Future Climate Change Projections -- 4 Land Use and Land Cover Changes -- 5 Future Outlook -- References -- Water Resources of Turkmenistan -- 1 Introduction -- 2 River Flow Resources -- 3 Temporary River Flow -- References -- The Caspian Sea and Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Caspian Sea -- 2.1 Geological History -- 2.2 Physical and Geographical Characteristics -- 2.3 Bottom Relief and Sediments -- 2.4 Climate -- 2.5 Water Budget -- 2.6 Sea Level -- 2.7 Water Circulation -- 2.8 Temperature and Salinity -- 2.9 Fauna and Fishery -- 3 Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay -- 3.1 Physical and Geographical Characteristics -- 3.2 Chemical Industry at the Bay -- 3.3 Period of Desiccation -- 3.4 Period of Revival -- 4 Conclusions -- References -- Karakum Canal: Artificial River in a Desert -- 1 Introduction -- 2 History of the Karakum Canal Project -- 3 Description of the Karakum Canal -- 4 Importance of the Karakum Canal -- References -- Sarykamysh Lake: Collector of Drainage Water - The Past, the Present, and the Future -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Study Area -- 2.1 Geographic Features -- 2.2 Regional Climate Characteristics. , 2.3 Geological History of the Sarykamysh -- 2.4 Human Presence Impact -- 2.5 Landscapes and Geomorphology of Sarykamysh Depression -- 2.6 Soil, Flora and Fauna -- 2.7 Sarykamysh: Contemporary State -- 3 Materials -- 3.1 Maps -- 3.2 Satellite Images -- 3.3 Altimeters -- 3.4 Local Data -- 3.5 Water Samples -- 4 Methods -- 4.1 Topographic Structure Analysis -- 4.2 Morphological Development of the Lake -- 4.3 Water Balance -- 5 Results and Discussion -- 5.1 Water Analysis -- 5.2 Retroactive Analysis -- 5.3 Forecast -- 5.3.1 No Inflow Scenario -- 5.3.2 Lake´s Expansion Scenarios -- 5.3.3 International Border Exposure -- 5.3.4 Lake´s Viability -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- Groundwaters and Salinization of Soils in Turkmenistan -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Groundwaters -- 2.1 Amudarya Area -- 2.2 Dashoguz Velayat -- 2.3 Lebap Velayat -- 2.4 Mary Velayat -- 2.5 Akhal Velayat -- 3 Soil Salinity -- 3.1 Salinization of Soils -- 3.2 Dashoguz Velayat -- 3.3 Akhal Velayat -- 3.4 Mary Velayat -- 3.5 Lebap Velayat -- 3.6 Balkan Velayat -- 4 Conclusions -- References -- Forecast of the Water-Salt Balance in the Turkmen Lake Altyn Asyr -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Altyn Asyr Lake Project -- 3 The Sarykamysh Lake Water Balance -- 4 The Altyn Asyr Lake Water Balance -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- The Turkmen Lake Altyn Asyr -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Collector-Drainage Waters -- 3 Karashor Depression -- 4 Project ``The Turkmen Lake Altyn Asyr´´ -- 5 Value and Prospects of the Project -- 6 Satellite Monitoring of the Altyn Asyr Lake Construction -- 7 Conclusions -- References -- Three-Dimensional Digital Elevation Model of the Karashor Depression and Altyn Asyr Lake -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Shuttle Radar Topography Mission -- 3 Digital Elevation Model of the Karashor Depression -- 4 Conclusions -- References. , Satellite Monitoring of the Caspian Sea, Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay, Sarykamysh and Altyn Asyr Lakes, and Amu Darya River -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Caspian Sea -- 3 Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay -- 4 Altyn Asyr Lake -- 5 Sarykamysh Lake -- 6 Amu Darya River -- 7 Conclusions -- References -- Present-Day Condition of Ichthyofauna in Reservoirs of Turkmenistan -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Amudarya River -- 3 The Sarykamysh Lake -- 4 The Turkmen Lake ``Altyn Asyr´´ -- 5 The Karakum Canal -- 6 The Khauzkhan Reservoir -- 7 The Saryyazyn Reservoir and the Murghab River -- 8 Conclusions -- References -- Wetland Birds of the Hydrographic Network of Altyn Asyr -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Habitat Transformation of Wetland Birds in Connection with the Development of the Hydrographic Network of Altyn Asyr -- 3 Composition and Status of Wetland Birds -- 4 Population Dynamics -- 5 The Role of the Lake as a Promising Wetland of the Hydrographic Network of Altyn Asyr and as One of the Important Birds´ Areas of Turkmenistan -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- International Cooperation of Turkmenistan in the Water Sector -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Transboundary Waters -- 3 Historical Perspective -- 4 Main Issues -- 5 Formal and Informal Interactions -- 6 Bilateral and Multilateral Relations -- 6.1 Bilateral Relations -- 6.2 Multilateral Relations -- References -- Conclusions -- References -- Index.