Work is underway to create an integrated platform that will enable real-time monitoring of the Caspian Sea and forecasting of its changes.
The digital twin will become more than just a data repository — it will serve as a comprehensive ecosystem model capable of analyzing key processes, from shallowing and pollution to biodiversity changes. Special attention will be given to monitoring rare species, including the development of a dedicated Caspian seal database.
A memorandum of cooperation has been signed between the Central-Asian Institute for Ecological Research (CAIER) and the Yandex Cloud Kazakhstan.
The solution will be based on modern cloud technologies, geoanalytics, and big data processing. The platform will combine information from multiple sources, including satellite imagery, laboratory research results, field expedition data, and geospatial databases.
In particular, Yandex Cloud will provide the project’s technological foundation: cloud infrastructure, services for processing large-scale datasets, and support in developing geoanalytical tools. CAIER, in turn, will contribute the scientific content of the platform, including environmental monitoring results, laboratory analyses, and expert interpretation of data.
“We expect that the implementation of the digital twin will improve the accuracy of scientific research, simplify data exchange between countries, and become an effective tool for decision-making in the fields of ecology and sustainable development. In the future, the platform will be available not only to the expert community, but also to government bodies and international organizations,” said Aselle Tasmagambetova, environmentalist and founder of CAIER.
The platform is being developed using advanced GIS solutions and will integrate various information sources, including satellite imagery, external services, and distributed geodata systems.
Scientific organisations and relevant government departments from all five Caspian states—Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran—are already joining the project. This will help to establish a unified environmental data system and ensure a comprehensive approach to the study and conservation of the region.