Graduate School of Public Policy
Graduate School of Public Policy
Graduate School of Public Policy
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Research Areas
Natural resources management, climate change and natural hazards, environmental policy and economics, resilience investment planning, sustainability, water-energy-food nexus, agricultural policy and rural development
Contact information:
Dr.Stefanos Xenarios
Adjunct Associate Professor, NU GSPP
Principal Research Economist, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Website: CSIRO
Contact information:
Dr.Stefanos Xenarios
Adjunct Associate Professor, NU GSPP
Principal Research Economist, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Website: CSIRO
Stefanos Xenarios
Position: Adjunct Associate Professor
Education Background: Ph.D. in Environmental Economics, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Greece)
Dr. Stefanos Xenarios is an environmental economist with over 20 years of experience in natural resources and climate change research. He currently serves as Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO in Canberra, Australia. Stefanos has established a professional career that spans multiple countries and institutions, including a postdoctoral fellowship at the International Water Management Institute in India and Ethiopia, a research position at NIBIO in Norway, a senior expert role at the OSCE Programme Office in Tajikistan, a senior researcher position at the University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, and an associate professorship at the Graduate School of Public Policy at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. He has also been an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Water Policy at the National University of Singapore. He has contributed to more than 50 academic publications, serves on the editorial boards of several journals, and is an advisor for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Chapter in Kazakhstan.
Position: Adjunct Associate Professor
Education Background: Ph.D. in Environmental Economics, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Greece)
Dr. Stefanos Xenarios is an environmental economist with over 20 years of experience in natural resources and climate change research. He currently serves as Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO in Canberra, Australia. Stefanos has established a professional career that spans multiple countries and institutions, including a postdoctoral fellowship at the International Water Management Institute in India and Ethiopia, a research position at NIBIO in Norway, a senior expert role at the OSCE Programme Office in Tajikistan, a senior researcher position at the University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, and an associate professorship at the Graduate School of Public Policy at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. He has also been an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Water Policy at the National University of Singapore. He has contributed to more than 50 academic publications, serves on the editorial boards of several journals, and is an advisor for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Chapter in Kazakhstan.
Publications
Publications/ Peer-Reviewed Papers
1.Xenarios, S., Edwards, E., and Buurman J (2025) Water Tariffs and Affordability in Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Systems, Water Economics and Policy, https://doi.org/10.1142/S2382624X24500164
2.Xenarios, S., Orazgaliyev, S., Torabi Haghighi, A., & Kløve, B. (2025). A perspective on sustainability and environmental challenges in the Caspian Sea. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 41(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2025.2441052
3.Pentayev, A., Ahrari, A., Baubekova, A., Faizuldanov, M., Nurtayev, N., Sharifi, A., Torabi Haghighi, A. Xenarios, S., Fazli, S. (2025). Towards multi-modal oil spill detection and coverage in the Caspian Sea: a comprehensive approach, International Journal of Water Resources Development, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2438203
4.Alamanos, A., Xenarios, S., Assubayeva, A., Landis, C. F., Dellis, K., & Koundouri, P. (2025). Systems-thinking innovations for water security. Frontiers in Water, 6, 1492698. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1492698
5.Xenarios, S., Sembayeva, A., Tsani, A., Orazagaliyev, S., Ansaganova Z. (2024) Clean energy challenges and innovation opportunities in Kazakhstan, Environmental Research Communications, Volume 6, Number 11, DOI https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad87b5
6. Torabi Haghighi, A., Sharifi, A., Darabi, H., Mazaheri, M., Mohammadpour, R., Gohari, A., Noury, M., Hekmatzadeh, A. A., Panchanathan, A., Hashemi, H., Xenarios, S., & Klöve, B. (2024). When rain does not run, a fingerprint of uncoordinated water resources development. Journal of Hydrology, 629, 130626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.130626
7. Xenarios, S. Water at time of war. Nature Sustainability 6, 485–486 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01065-0
8. Cavoli,T. Gopalan, S., Onur I & Xenarios S (2023) Does financial inclusion improve sanitation access? Empirical evidence from low- and middle-income countries, International Journal of Water Resources Development, DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2023.21743602.
9. Assubayeva A, Xenarios S, Li A and Fazli S (2022), Assessing water security in Central Asia through a Delphi method and a clustering analysis. Front. Environ. Sci. 10:970633. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.970633
10. Xenarios S., Yakubov, M., Baubebova, A., Olzhas, A., Zhalgas, Z., Araral, E Jr (2022) Transboundary Water Governance in Central Asia, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.784
11. Lim, M., Xenarios, S. (2021) Economic assessment of urban space and blue-green infrastructure in Singapore, Journal of Urban Ecology, Volume 7, Issue 1, juab020, https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juab020
12. Xenarios, S., Laldjebaev, M., Shenhav, R. (2021) Agricultural Water and Energy Management in Tajikistan: a New Opportunity, International Journal of Water Resources Development, DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2019.1642185
13. Xenarios, S., Assubayeva, A., Lei X. et al (2020) A bibliometric review of water security concept in Central Asia, Environmental Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc717
14. Sarbassov Y, Sagalova T, Tursunov O, Venetis C, Xenarios S, Inglezakis V. Survey on Household Solid Waste Sorting at Source in Developing Economies: A Case Study of Nur-Sultan City in Kazakhstan. Sustainability. 2019; 11(22):6496. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226496
15. Alamanos A, Latinopoulos D, Xenarios S, Tziatzios G, Mylopoulos N Loukas A (2019) Combining hydro-economic and water quality modelling for optimal management of a degraded watershed, Journal of Hydro-informatics, 1 November 2019; 21 (6): 1118–1129. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2019.079
16. Xenarios S, Gafurov A, Schmidt-Vogt D. et al. (2019) Climate change and adaptation of mountain societies in Central Asia: uncertainties, knowledge gaps, and data constraints, Reg Environ Change, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1384-9
17. Abou Zaki N, Torabi Haghighi A, Rossi PM, Xenarios S Kløve B. (2018) An Index-Based Approach to Assess the Water Availability for Irrigated Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Water, 10, 896.
18. Xenarios S, Shenhav R, Abdullaev I, Mastellari A (2018) Water Security in Central Asia: An Overview. Water Solutions, Issue 2
19. Xenarios S, Queiroga H, Lillebø AI and Aleixo A (2108) Introducing a Regulatory Policy Framework of Bait Fishing in European Coastal Lagoons: The Case of Ria de Aveiro in Portugal. Fishes 3(1), 2; doi:10.3390/fishes3010002
20. Xenarios, S., Kakumanu, K. R., Nagothu, U. S., & Kotapati, G. R. (2017). Gender differentiated impacts from weather extremes: Insight from rural communities in South India. Environmental Development, 24, 156-169
21. Alamanos A, Xenarios S, Mylopoulos N and Stålnacke P (2016) Hydro-economic modeling and management with limited data: the case of Lake Karla Basin, Greece, European Water, 54: 3-18, 2016
22. Xenarios S, Nemes A, Sarker GW and Nagothu US(2016) Assessing vulnerability to climate change: Are communities in flood-prone areas in Bangladesh more vulnerable than those in drought-prone areas? Water Resources and Rural Development Journal, Vol. 7, p.1-19
23. Xenarios S, Polatidis H, McCartney M and Nemes A (2015) A user-based decision framework for water storage investments in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia, Journal of Water Economics and Policy, Volume 01, Issue 04
24. Ranjan R, Ngai WC and Xenarios S (2015) Sustainability of rice production systems: an empirical evaluation to improve policy, Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal, DOI 10.1007/s10668-015-9638-x
25. Xenarios S and Polatidis H (2015) Alleviating climate change impacts in rural Bangladesh: a PROMETHEE outranking-based approach for prioritizing agricultural interventions, Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal, 17: 963. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-014-9583-0
26.McCartney M, Rebelo LM, Xenarios S, Smakhtin V (2013) Agricultural water storage in an era of Climate Change: assessing need and effectiveness in Africa. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 37p. (IWMI Research Report 152). doi:10.5337/2013.207
27.Xenarios S and Pavelic P (2013). Assessing and forecasting groundwater development costs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Water SA, Vol. 39, No. 4
28.Xenarios S and Bithas K (2012) The use of economic instruments for urban wastewater control: evidences from an international survey, Journal of Environmental Policy and Governance, Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages: 14–26
29.Xenarios S, Amarasinghe U, Sharma B (2011) Economic Implications of Agricultural Water Use in Eastern India, Journal of Natural Policy Research, 3:4, 371-39Sharma B, Amarasinghe U, Xueliang C, de Condappa D, Shah T, Mukherji A, Bharati L, Ambili G, Qureshi A, Pant D,
30.Xenarios S, Singh R and Smakhtin V (2010) The Indus and the Ganges: river basins under extreme pressure, Water International, 35: 5, 493 — 521
31.Xenarios S (2009) Developing an ecological - economic assessment framework for urban wastewater systems: the case of Athens and Vils wastewater systems, Urban Water Journal 6(2):147-167
32.Xenarios S and Bithas K(2009) Valuating the Receiving Waters of Urban Wastewater Systems through a Stakeholder-based Approach, International Journal of Water Resources Development, 25:1, 123 — 140
33. Xenarios S and Bithas K (2009) Welfare Improvisation from the Receiving Waters of Urban Wastewater Systems in the Context of the Water Framework Directive, Water Resources Management, Volume 23:981
34. Xenarios S, Tziritis I(2007) Improving pluralism in Multi Criteria Decision Aid approach through Focus Group technique and Content Analysis, Journal of Ecological Economics, 62 , 692-703
35. Xenarios S and Bithas K (2007) Extrapolating the benefits arising from the compliance of urban wastewater systems with the Water Framework Directive, Desalination Journal, 211, pp. 200–211
Peer-Reviewed Chapters in Books (last 5 years)
1. Sembayeva, A., Tsani, A., Orazagaliyev, S., Xenarios S. (2024) Energy and industrial transitions in Kazakhstan, In:Simon Bennet (Ed): Clean Energy Innovation Policies in Emerging and Developing Economies, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/clean-energy-innovation-policies-in-emerging-and-developing-economies , Licence: CC BY 4.0
2. Xenarios S. (2024) Water Resources Management in Central Asia In: Koundouri P and Alamanos A. (eds) Elgar Encyclopedia of Water Policy, Economics and Management, https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802202946.00090
3. Xenarios. S, Laldjebaev, M., Schmidt-Vogt, D., Buurman, J., Araral, E (2021) Powering the uplands: controversies of developing hydropower in upstream Central and Mainland South East Asia. In: Tsani, S. and Overland, I (eds)Handbook on the Sustainable Politics and Economics of Natural Resources, Edward Elgar Publ. pp. 152–185, DOI:https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789908770.00020
4. Xenarios. S., Sehring, J., Assubayeva, A., Schmidt-Vogt, D., Abdullaev, I., Araral, E. (2019) Water Security Assessments in Central Asia: Research and Policy Implications, Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) ISBN: 978–4–89974–113–8
5. Xenarios S, Smakhtin V, Sehring J, Schmidt-Vogt D, Tsani S, Hannah C and Michalena E (2018) Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Environment in Central Asia. In: S. Barchiesi, C. Carmona-Moreno, C. Dondeynaz, M. Biedler (eds) Proceedings of the Workshop on Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, ISBN 978-92-79-99562-0, doi 10.2760/867467
Scientific Editing
· Editorial Board in the SpringerBriefs on Case Studies of Sustainable Development (January 2024-present)
·Editorial Board Member in Word Development Sustainability (March 2021- present)
· Editorial Board Member in International Journal of Water Resources Development (Dec. 2020- present)
· Editorial Board Member in Hydrology Research Journal (November 2019- present)
· Editor in the Central Asian Journal of Water Research (10/2017- present)
Publications/ Peer-Reviewed Papers
1.Xenarios, S., Edwards, E., and Buurman J (2025) Water Tariffs and Affordability in Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Systems, Water Economics and Policy, https://doi.org/10.1142/S2382624X24500164
2.Xenarios, S., Orazgaliyev, S., Torabi Haghighi, A., & Kløve, B. (2025). A perspective on sustainability and environmental challenges in the Caspian Sea. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 41(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2025.2441052
3.Pentayev, A., Ahrari, A., Baubekova, A., Faizuldanov, M., Nurtayev, N., Sharifi, A., Torabi Haghighi, A. Xenarios, S., Fazli, S. (2025). Towards multi-modal oil spill detection and coverage in the Caspian Sea: a comprehensive approach, International Journal of Water Resources Development, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2438203
4.Alamanos, A., Xenarios, S., Assubayeva, A., Landis, C. F., Dellis, K., & Koundouri, P. (2025). Systems-thinking innovations for water security. Frontiers in Water, 6, 1492698. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1492698
5.Xenarios, S., Sembayeva, A., Tsani, A., Orazagaliyev, S., Ansaganova Z. (2024) Clean energy challenges and innovation opportunities in Kazakhstan, Environmental Research Communications, Volume 6, Number 11, DOI https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad87b5
6. Torabi Haghighi, A., Sharifi, A., Darabi, H., Mazaheri, M., Mohammadpour, R., Gohari, A., Noury, M., Hekmatzadeh, A. A., Panchanathan, A., Hashemi, H., Xenarios, S., & Klöve, B. (2024). When rain does not run, a fingerprint of uncoordinated water resources development. Journal of Hydrology, 629, 130626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.130626
7. Xenarios, S. Water at time of war. Nature Sustainability 6, 485–486 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01065-0
8. Cavoli,T. Gopalan, S., Onur I & Xenarios S (2023) Does financial inclusion improve sanitation access? Empirical evidence from low- and middle-income countries, International Journal of Water Resources Development, DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2023.21743602.
9. Assubayeva A, Xenarios S, Li A and Fazli S (2022), Assessing water security in Central Asia through a Delphi method and a clustering analysis. Front. Environ. Sci. 10:970633. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.970633
10. Xenarios S., Yakubov, M., Baubebova, A., Olzhas, A., Zhalgas, Z., Araral, E Jr (2022) Transboundary Water Governance in Central Asia, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.784
11. Lim, M., Xenarios, S. (2021) Economic assessment of urban space and blue-green infrastructure in Singapore, Journal of Urban Ecology, Volume 7, Issue 1, juab020, https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juab020
12. Xenarios, S., Laldjebaev, M., Shenhav, R. (2021) Agricultural Water and Energy Management in Tajikistan: a New Opportunity, International Journal of Water Resources Development, DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2019.1642185
13. Xenarios, S., Assubayeva, A., Lei X. et al (2020) A bibliometric review of water security concept in Central Asia, Environmental Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc717
14. Sarbassov Y, Sagalova T, Tursunov O, Venetis C, Xenarios S, Inglezakis V. Survey on Household Solid Waste Sorting at Source in Developing Economies: A Case Study of Nur-Sultan City in Kazakhstan. Sustainability. 2019; 11(22):6496. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226496
15. Alamanos A, Latinopoulos D, Xenarios S, Tziatzios G, Mylopoulos N Loukas A (2019) Combining hydro-economic and water quality modelling for optimal management of a degraded watershed, Journal of Hydro-informatics, 1 November 2019; 21 (6): 1118–1129. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2019.079
16. Xenarios S, Gafurov A, Schmidt-Vogt D. et al. (2019) Climate change and adaptation of mountain societies in Central Asia: uncertainties, knowledge gaps, and data constraints, Reg Environ Change, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1384-9
17. Abou Zaki N, Torabi Haghighi A, Rossi PM, Xenarios S Kløve B. (2018) An Index-Based Approach to Assess the Water Availability for Irrigated Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Water, 10, 896.
18. Xenarios S, Shenhav R, Abdullaev I, Mastellari A (2018) Water Security in Central Asia: An Overview. Water Solutions, Issue 2
19. Xenarios S, Queiroga H, Lillebø AI and Aleixo A (2108) Introducing a Regulatory Policy Framework of Bait Fishing in European Coastal Lagoons: The Case of Ria de Aveiro in Portugal. Fishes 3(1), 2; doi:10.3390/fishes3010002
20. Xenarios, S., Kakumanu, K. R., Nagothu, U. S., & Kotapati, G. R. (2017). Gender differentiated impacts from weather extremes: Insight from rural communities in South India. Environmental Development, 24, 156-169
21. Alamanos A, Xenarios S, Mylopoulos N and Stålnacke P (2016) Hydro-economic modeling and management with limited data: the case of Lake Karla Basin, Greece, European Water, 54: 3-18, 2016
22. Xenarios S, Nemes A, Sarker GW and Nagothu US(2016) Assessing vulnerability to climate change: Are communities in flood-prone areas in Bangladesh more vulnerable than those in drought-prone areas? Water Resources and Rural Development Journal, Vol. 7, p.1-19
23. Xenarios S, Polatidis H, McCartney M and Nemes A (2015) A user-based decision framework for water storage investments in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia, Journal of Water Economics and Policy, Volume 01, Issue 04
24. Ranjan R, Ngai WC and Xenarios S (2015) Sustainability of rice production systems: an empirical evaluation to improve policy, Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal, DOI 10.1007/s10668-015-9638-x
25. Xenarios S and Polatidis H (2015) Alleviating climate change impacts in rural Bangladesh: a PROMETHEE outranking-based approach for prioritizing agricultural interventions, Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal, 17: 963. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-014-9583-0
26.McCartney M, Rebelo LM, Xenarios S, Smakhtin V (2013) Agricultural water storage in an era of Climate Change: assessing need and effectiveness in Africa. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 37p. (IWMI Research Report 152). doi:10.5337/2013.207
27.Xenarios S and Pavelic P (2013). Assessing and forecasting groundwater development costs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Water SA, Vol. 39, No. 4
28.Xenarios S and Bithas K (2012) The use of economic instruments for urban wastewater control: evidences from an international survey, Journal of Environmental Policy and Governance, Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages: 14–26
29.Xenarios S, Amarasinghe U, Sharma B (2011) Economic Implications of Agricultural Water Use in Eastern India, Journal of Natural Policy Research, 3:4, 371-39Sharma B, Amarasinghe U, Xueliang C, de Condappa D, Shah T, Mukherji A, Bharati L, Ambili G, Qureshi A, Pant D,
30.Xenarios S, Singh R and Smakhtin V (2010) The Indus and the Ganges: river basins under extreme pressure, Water International, 35: 5, 493 — 521
31.Xenarios S (2009) Developing an ecological - economic assessment framework for urban wastewater systems: the case of Athens and Vils wastewater systems, Urban Water Journal 6(2):147-167
32.Xenarios S and Bithas K(2009) Valuating the Receiving Waters of Urban Wastewater Systems through a Stakeholder-based Approach, International Journal of Water Resources Development, 25:1, 123 — 140
33. Xenarios S and Bithas K (2009) Welfare Improvisation from the Receiving Waters of Urban Wastewater Systems in the Context of the Water Framework Directive, Water Resources Management, Volume 23:981
34. Xenarios S, Tziritis I(2007) Improving pluralism in Multi Criteria Decision Aid approach through Focus Group technique and Content Analysis, Journal of Ecological Economics, 62 , 692-703
35. Xenarios S and Bithas K (2007) Extrapolating the benefits arising from the compliance of urban wastewater systems with the Water Framework Directive, Desalination Journal, 211, pp. 200–211
Peer-Reviewed Chapters in Books (last 5 years)
1. Sembayeva, A., Tsani, A., Orazagaliyev, S., Xenarios S. (2024) Energy and industrial transitions in Kazakhstan, In:Simon Bennet (Ed): Clean Energy Innovation Policies in Emerging and Developing Economies, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/clean-energy-innovation-policies-in-emerging-and-developing-economies , Licence: CC BY 4.0
2. Xenarios S. (2024) Water Resources Management in Central Asia In: Koundouri P and Alamanos A. (eds) Elgar Encyclopedia of Water Policy, Economics and Management, https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802202946.00090
3. Xenarios. S, Laldjebaev, M., Schmidt-Vogt, D., Buurman, J., Araral, E (2021) Powering the uplands: controversies of developing hydropower in upstream Central and Mainland South East Asia. In: Tsani, S. and Overland, I (eds)Handbook on the Sustainable Politics and Economics of Natural Resources, Edward Elgar Publ. pp. 152–185, DOI:https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789908770.00020
4. Xenarios. S., Sehring, J., Assubayeva, A., Schmidt-Vogt, D., Abdullaev, I., Araral, E. (2019) Water Security Assessments in Central Asia: Research and Policy Implications, Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) ISBN: 978–4–89974–113–8
5. Xenarios S, Smakhtin V, Sehring J, Schmidt-Vogt D, Tsani S, Hannah C and Michalena E (2018) Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Environment in Central Asia. In: S. Barchiesi, C. Carmona-Moreno, C. Dondeynaz, M. Biedler (eds) Proceedings of the Workshop on Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, ISBN 978-92-79-99562-0, doi 10.2760/867467
Scientific Editing
· Editorial Board in the SpringerBriefs on Case Studies of Sustainable Development (January 2024-present)
·Editorial Board Member in Word Development Sustainability (March 2021- present)
· Editorial Board Member in International Journal of Water Resources Development (Dec. 2020- present)
· Editorial Board Member in Hydrology Research Journal (November 2019- present)
· Editor in the Central Asian Journal of Water Research (10/2017- present)