Geography of Kyrgyz Republic: Water Resources

1. Lesson: Geography of Kyrgyz Republic Subject: Water resources

Lecturer: Emilbek Zholdoshbekov
emilbek.zholdoshbekov@alatoo.edu.kg

2.

Outline of the presentation
• Rivers
• Lakes
• Groundwater
• Water use and water management
• Environment and health

3. Introduction

• Water resource, any of the entire range of natural waters
that occur on the Earth, regardless of their state (i.e.,
vapour, liquid, or solid) and that are of potential use to
humans. Of these, the resources most available for use are
the waters of the oceans, rivers, and lakes; other
available water resources include groundwater and deep
subsurface waters and glaciers and permanent snowfields.
• Kyrgyzstan is the only country in Central Asia whose water
resources are almost completely formed on its own
territory, and this is its hydrological feature and advantages.
The republic has significant water and hydropower
resources, and this is one of its main wealth.

4. Introduction

5. Rivers

• The average natural surface water flow is an estimated
46.46 km3/year, all internally produced. In total, there
are over 2000 rivers with a length of more than 10 km
in Kyrgyzstan with a total length of about
35000 km. The main source of water for the rivers of
Kyrgyzstan is melting water from the numerous glaciers
and snowfields in the mountains, while rainfall
contributes less than one fifth of the water volume.
Since Kyrgyzstan is located so far from oceans, all of its
rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not
drain to oceans.

6. Rivers

There are six main river basin groups. No rivers flow into Kyrgyzstan. The river basins, listing the largest
first and progressing to the smallest area are:
Syr Darya river basin covers 55.3 percent of the country: In Kyrgyzstan the river is called the Naryn
river before it reaches the Fergana valley. It then flows into Uzbekistan as the Syr Darya river, then into
Tajikistan and then again into Uzbekistan where it receives the Chatkal river, a tributary that also rises
in Kyrgyzstan. It then flows towards Kazakhstan.
Chu, Talas and Assa river basins, cover 21.1 percent of the country: All three rivers flow to Kazakhstan,
where the portion that is not withdrawn is lost in the desert.
Southeastern river basins cover 12.9 percent of the country: These are different river basins that drain
into the Tarim basin, China. The main rivers are the Aksu (Sary Dzhaz), Aksay (Toshkan) and Kek Suu,
and are located at high elevations.
Lake Issyk-Kul internal and interior basin, cover 6.5 percent of the country: The lake has low salinity.
The estimated flow from all rivers into the Issyk-Kul lake basin that does not evaporate is used for
irrigation or municipalities. The lake and the surrounding rivers that drain into the lake are all within
Kyrgyzstan.
Amu Darya river basin covers 3.9 percent of the country: The Amu Darya river rises mainly in Tajikistan,
but receives a contribution from the Kyzyl Suu tributary, which originates in the southwest of
Kyrgyzstan.
Lake Balkhash basin covers 0.3 percent of the country: The Karkyra river, which rises in Kyrgyzstan is a
small tributary of the Ili river and flows to lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan.

7. Rivers

Naryn River
The Naryn River flows across Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, covering 807 km (501
miles), and 59,000 square km (22,780 sq miles) of watershed. The river starts from
glaciers in the Central Tian Shan, and becomes the Naryn River with the
confluence of the Big and Little Naryn Rivers.
The Naryn River flows past narrow gorges and plains, starting in the Naryn State
National Park, and crossing the cities of Naryn, Tash-Kumyr, and Uchkurgan.
Running alongside this part of the river are the Naryn Too Mountains, which
stretch across 130 km (80 miles), and reach a maximum height of 4,530 m (14,862
feet). The river is used extensively for irrigation, with several canals flowing out of
the river. There are also several major power stations along the river, including
Kyrgyzstan’s largest reservoir, the Toktogul Reservoir.
Past Toktogul, the Naryn River flows through Jalal-Abad and into Uzbekistan,
where it joins the the Kara Darya River to form the Syr Darya, from where it flows
to the Aral Sea. Because so much water in Uzbekistan originates from rivers in
Kyrgyzstan, and because irrigation is so essential to agriculture in Uzbekistan,
water rights and the flow of the Naryn River can be a source of friction between
the two countries.

8. Rivers

9. Lakes

• Kyrgyzstan’s lakes number almost 2,000, but most of these are
small lakes caused by glaciers. Most are between 2,500 and 4,000
meters above sea level. Only 16 lakes have a surface area of over 1
square km, and some are only temporary, appearing when snow
melts and disappearing when the water evaporates or drains.

10. Lakes

• Issyk Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. Its maximum depth is 668
meters, average one is 278 meters, it's length is 187 km, and it is about
58 km wide. Its area is 6,236 km² About 118 rivers and streams flow into
the lake; the largest are the Djyrgalan and Tyup. It is fed by springs,
including many hot springs, and snow melt. The lake has no current outlet,
but some hydrologists hypothesize that the lake's water filters deep
underground into the Chu River. The bottom of the lake contains the
mineral monohydrocalcite: one of the few known lacustrine deposits.
• The lake's southern shore is dominated by the ruggedly beautiful Teskey
Ala-Too Range of the Tian Shan mountains. The Kungey Alatau of the Tian
Shan runs parallel to the north shore.
• The lake water's salinity is approx. 0.5 % – compared to 3.5% salinity of
typical seawater – and, although the lake level is still currently some 8
metres higher than in medieval times, its level now drops by
approximately 5 centimetres (2.0 in) per year due to water diversion

11. Groundwater

Groundwater is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil,
sand and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil,
sand and rocks called aquifers.
Annual renewable groundwater resources are an estimated 13.69 km3/year, of
which about 11.22 km3/year is common to surface water resources (Table 4). In
1991, the groundwater resources, for which abstraction equipment existed, was an
estimated 3.39 km3/year, mainly in the Chu river basin (2.02 km3/year), the Syr
Darya river basin (0.73 km3/year) and the lake Issyk-Kul basin (0.52 km3/year).
Kyrgyzstan has rich hydrothermal resources. Approximately 100 deposits of
mineral water, 30 areas of acidulous water, over 50 occurrences of warm and hot
water were revealed. There is radon, sulphate, chalybeate and other types of
water. Resorts are located at four deposits of mineral-thermal water (Jalal-Abad,
Issyk-Ata, Ak-Suu, Jergalan), one radon-thermal deposit (Jety-Oguz). Medicinaltable water of eight deposits (Ak-Suu, Kara-Shoro, Jalal-Abad, Chatyr-Kul, Barbulak,
Issyk-Ata, Furmanovskoye, Alamedin) is used for bottling. Recreation facilities and
health resorts are located at some deposits (Altyn-Arashan, Alamedin, Jilisu,
Cholpon-Ata, Kurskoye).
Possibilities to increase bottling and exporting clean fresh and medicinal-table
mineral water are unlimited.

12. Water management and water use

• In 2006, water withdrawal was an estimated 8 007 million
m3, of which about 93% was withdrawn by agriculture, 3
percent by municipalities and 4 percent by industry.
Primary and secondary surface water and groundwater
account for 92.4 percent and 3.8 percent respectively of
total water withdrawal. Direct use of irrigation drainage
water represents 3.7 percent and direct use of treated
wastewater 0.002 percent. In 1994, water withdrawal was
an estimated 10 100 million m3. In some basins (Syr Darya,
Chu, Talas) there was a fairly severe water shortage, while
in others (Amu Darya, Issyk-Kul, southeastern) there was a
surplus. About 90 percent of all drinking water supplied by
centralized systems is provided by groundwater.

13. Water management and water use

14. Water management and water use

• Kyrgyzstan has sufficient quantities of water of excellent quality for
municipal and industrial use for the foreseeable future. Because of
commitments to downstream countries, water availability may
become a constraint to expanding irrigation, extending land
reclamation, and improving the productivity of irrigated areas,
unless water use efficiency is significantly improved, and a major
effort made to conserve water.

15. Environment and health

• Water quality in rivers is good. Rivers are fed by glacial melt, which
has a low salt concentration (0.04–0.15 g/litre) and low pollution
level. Observations in all basins show a low concentration of
nitrates, organic matter and nutrients (less then 1 mg/litre). There
are cases of wastewater pollution; the reasons are:
• incorrect storage and use of fertilizers, chemicals, industrial waste;
• non-observance of the sanitary code;
• improper technical conditions for sewerage systems, ineffective
cleaning of agriculture, cattle-breeding and industrial effluent.
• About 90 percent of all drinking water supplied by centralized
systems is groundwater, which mostly meets standards for drinking
water quality.
• Nuclear tailing dump is a very serious problem in Kyrgyzstan not
fully solved yet and threatening the whole region.

16. Thank you for attention