The department was founded in 1945 on the initiative of such prominent scientists as professors N.L. Korzhenevsky, V.M. Chetirkin, V.L. Schulz, O.P. Sheglova. These scientists founded the scientific school “Hydrology of Mountainous Regions” in those years. Since the 50s of the last century, the department has been training geographers-hydrologists for the first time, and later engineers-hydrologists. After the Republic of Uzbekistan gained independence, since 1995 the department has been training bachelors of hydrometeorology, and since 2001 – masters.
In different years, such famous scientists as professors V.L. Shul’s, O.P. Sheglova, V.E. Chub, E.I. Chembarisov, associate professors Z.V. Georgiou, R. Mashrapov, P.M. Mashukov, N.K. Lukina, L.I. Shalatova, I.R. Alimukhamedov, A.R. Rasulov, E.M. Videneeva, M.A. Nosirov, G.E. Glazirin, G.N. Trofimov, Z.S. Sirliboyeva worked at the department.
Based on the orders of the Center of the Hydrometeorological Service of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Water Resources, the State Committee for Nature Protection and other organizations, the department has been preparing Masters in Hydrology since 2020. To date, the department has trained more than 2,000 hydrologist engineers, bachelors of hydrology, hydrometeorology, and about 100 masters in such specialties as Hydrology, Hydrometeorology, Meteorology, Climatology and Agrometeorology, Climate Change and Climate Risk Assessment, Glaciology and Snow Cover Monitoring. More than 40 of them have achieved the degree of Doctor of Science, more than 250 have achieved the degree of Candidate of Science.
Graduates of the department serve in the system of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Agency of the Hydrometeorological Service, the system of the Ministry of Water Resources, Uzbekhydroenergo Joint Stock Company, the system of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan and industry research institutes.
The Department of “Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring” was established in the 2021-2022 academic year on the basis of the Faculty of Hydrometeorology. During the years of independence, new master’s degrees in Hydrometeorology, Hydrometeorology (by type of activity), Climate change and climate risk assessment, Glaciology and snow cover monitoring were opened in the university education system. The “Young Hydrometeorologist” scientific circle was established at the department. The scientific research direction of this circle is the study of hydrometeorological processes in Uzbekistan and adjacent regions from a scientific and practical point of view. The scientific circle operates on the basis of a pre-approved work plan. Talented students, young scientists, have been actively participating in this circle. In recent years, students of the department have been actively participating in international and republican science olympiads and have won a number of prizes. In particular, on April 25-26, 2022, at the III International Student Olympiad in the specialty “Hydrology” held at the L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Abdurakhmonov Murodjon, a 3rd year student of the Hydrometeorology department, took an honorable 2nd place.
Department of Meteorology and Climatology The Faculty of Physics and Mathematics began operating at Turkestan University in February 1919, and the Department of “Geophysics” was also included in its structure. The first academic year began in September 2020. On October 20, 1943, the Department of “Synoptic Meteorology” was separated from the Department of “Geophysics”. In 1962, the Department of “Geophysics” and “Synoptic Meteorology” were merged and began operating under the new name of the Department of “Atmospheric Physics”.
The Department of Meteorology and Climatology was established in accordance with the Laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Education” and “On the National Program for Personnel Training”, the Concept of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Development of the Higher Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030”, the Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to radically improve the system of training highly qualified personnel at the National University of Uzbekistan in 2019-2023 and develop scientific potential”, the Regulation of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education “On Higher Education” and the Order of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education No. 267 dated April 28, 2017. From the 2021-2022 academic year, the Department of “Atmospheric Physics” within the Faculty of Physics has been transformed into the Department of “Meteorology and Climatology” within the Faculty of Hydrometeorology.
Over the past period, the department was headed by R.R. Zimmerman (1920-1935), A.A. Skvortsov (1936-1954), V.A. Georgio (1955-1974), V.I. Gubin (1974-1975), N.N. Romanov (1975-1988), Yu.V. Petrov (1988-1999), Kh.T. Egamberdiev (1999-2006), in 2006-2012 as part of the Department of General Physics and Atmospheric Physics, in 2012-2021 as part of the Department of Astronomy and Atmospheric Physics, Kh.T. Egamberdiev (2021-2022).
Department From November 1, 2024, as a result of the optimization of the departments of “Dry Hydrology”, “Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring” and “Meteorology and Climatology” within the Faculty of Hydrometeorology, the Department of Hydrometeorology of the Faculty of Physics was renamed the Department of “Dry Hydrology and Meteorology”.
The sustainable development of all sectors of the national economy of our country, especially agriculture and industry, is directly related to the effective use of existing water resources. From this point of view, the topics of scientific research carried out at the department are: Surface water resources of the Aral Sea Basin; mountain glaciers; laws of river flow formation; hydrometeorological regime of lakes; laws of the hydrological regime of reservoirs, climate change, urban climate, agrometeorological research and their protection.
Currently, the department has 4 doctors of science, 8 candidates of science, PhDs, 4 senior teachers, 3 teachers, 3 interns-teachers and 3 basic doctoral students who are engaged in scientific and pedagogical activities. Also, in the educational process, scientists such as the following from the Hydrometeorological Research Institute under the Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan, PhD in Hydrometeorology, Professor Holmatjonov B.M., PhD in Hydrometeorology, DSc. Turgunov D.M., Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. B.E.Nishonov, PhD., Assoc. Prof. G.O.Umirzokov, PhD. U.Shermuhammedov, PhD. H.N.Magdiev from the Cadastral Agency participate in providing knowledge to students.
The department has established a system of full-time and part-time education in the following areas of study: 60520100-Meteorology and Climatology, 60530400-Hydrology (Drought Hydrology), 70520101-Meteorology, 70520102-Hydrometeorology, 70520103-Climate Change and Climate Risk Assessment, 70530401-Hydrology, postgraduate studies in the following specialties: 11.00.03-Drought Hydrology. Water Resources. Hydrochemistry, 11.00.04-Meteorology. Climatology. Agrometeorology. A system of continuing education has been established in the basic doctoral (PhD) and doctoral (DSc) programs. Also, the department, in collaboration with the Russian State Hydrometeorological University, is accepting students for part-time study in the 3+2 joint educational program 60520100-Meteorology and Climatology.