Irrigation areas and irrigation water : consumption in the upper Ili catchment, NW-China

Abstract

The present study was compiled within the framework of the research project "Water shortage, water use conflicts and water management in arid environments of Central Asia". The objective of this research is to analyse the causes and the effects of the growing water shortage and the increasing deterioration of the water quality in this area. The research activities compare the situation in four inland basins of Central Asia: the Aral Lake, the Ili-Balkhash Basin, the Issyk-Kul Basin, and the Tarim Basin. The following study investigates the Upper Ili Catchment and is thus part of the research component which focuses on the Ili-Balkhash Basin. These studies are compiled and coordinated by Prof. Dr. A.A. Tursunov and Prof. Dr. Ž. D. Dostaj of the "Department of Geography" of the Kazakhian Academy of Sciences and Dr. M. Ž. Burlibaev, Director of the "Kazakhian Research Institute for Environment and Climate Monitoring". Their research results will be translated and published in a summarised form at a later point in time. This study was mainly based on the interpretation of satellite imagery, supported by only limited field truth data. This approach had to be followed because only very little information on the Upper Ili Catchment was available to the research team. At the same time, however, detailed information on the Upper Ili Basin is essential for the overall framework of this project. The Upper Ili catchment is the main source of the water discharged to the Ili-Balkhash Basin which is mainly located on Kazakhian territory. Hence, the water balance of the Ili-Balkhash Basin crucially depends on the water supply from the Upper Ili region.