Vegetation, fauna, and biodiversity of the Ile Delta and southern Lake Balkhash — A review

Imentai, Aiman; Thevs, Niels; Schmidt, Sebastian; Nurtazin, Sabir; Salmurzauli, Ruslan

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2015.04.002

Cited by 43 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The Ili River delivers 70%-80% of the annual inflow into Lake Figure 1. Map of the Ili river basin and Lake Balkhash [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of the natural riparian ecosystems along the Ili River are located in Kazakhstan, either Tugai forests along the Ili River between the border with China and the Kapchagay Reservoir or the vast wetlands of the Ili Delta. The Ili Delta, being the largest and in terms of biodiversity most significant natural riparian ecosystem along the Ili River [9,12,13], is located in a downstream position.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This competition most likely will be aggravated in the course of climate change and melting glaciers due to reduced river discharge [11]. Already, this competition has been leading to debates and statements that each of the conflicting parties or water users consumes too much water of the Ili River [12,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Commission has held annual meetings since 2003, during which, issues of water quality and natural disasters along the Ili River and other transboundary rivers were discussed. However, the issue of water allocation between China and Kazakhstan has not been negotiated and resolved [12,15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water Consumption of Agriculture and Natural Ecosystems along the Ili River in China and Kazakhstan

Thevs

Nurtazin²,

Beckmann

et al. 2017

Water

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Abstract:The Ili River is a transboundary river shared by China, upstream, and Kazakhstan, downstream. The Ili is the main water supplier to Lake Balkhash, the largest lake in Central Asia after desiccation of the Aral Sea. Agreements over water allocation have not been concluded between China and Kazakhstan. This paper investigated water consumption of agriculture and riparian ecosystems in the Ili river basin, to provide information for further debate on water allocation, through the Simplified Surface Energy Balance Index (S-SEBI) approach using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images. The overall water consumption in the Ili river basin was 14.3 km 3 /a in 2000, 17.2 km 3 /a in 2005, and 15 km 3 /a in 2014. In 2000, China and Kazakhstan consumed 38% and 62% of the water, respectively. By 2014, the relative share of China's water consumption increased to 43%. In China, 80% of the water consumption is due to agriculture. High runoff during the past 10 years enabled increasing water consumption in China and sufficient water supply to agriculture and riparian ecosystems in Kazakhstan. When runoff of the Ili River decreases, as expected for most rivers in Central Asia, then irrigation efficiency has to be further increased in China, and irrigation systems in Kazakhstan have to be restored and modernized in order to reduce water consumption and protect Lake Balkhash and the riparian ecosystems.

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“…The Ili River delivers 70%-80% of the annual inflow into Lake Figure 1. Map of the Ili river basin and Lake Balkhash [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Water Consumption of Agriculture and Natural Ecosystems along the Ili River in China and Kazakhstan

Thevs

Nurtazin²,

Beckmann

et al. 2017

Water

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“…Lake Balkhash lies in a particularly arid region that receives only about 130 mm of precipitation per year in comparison to more than 400 and 600 mm, respectively, in northern Kazakhstan and the Almaty region [1]. The Ili River ecosystem has been examined from a variety of perspectives, both because of its uniqueness and its fragility [43,[54][55][56][57]. The river is interrupted by one major dam at Kapchagay in eastern Kazakhstan and by several smaller dams along its headwaters in China.…”

Section: Observations From the Ili River And Lake Balkhashmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Current Status and Future of Central Asia’s Fish and Fisheries: Confronting a Wicked Problem

Graham

Pueppke

Uderbayev

2017

Water

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Central Asia's arid lowland ecosystems are dependent on water that originates in nearby mountains and is carried by rivers to terminal lakes and freshwater seas with no outlets to the ocean. Fish traditionally thrived in these waterways, but they have become increasingly jeopardized by water impoundment and diversion for energy and crop production. Fish capture in the five new Central Asian republics consequently entered a period of long decline, a trend that was accelerated by removal of the centralized controls imposed by the former Soviet Union. Production levels have recovered during the past decade, but only in some countries. A similar trend is evident with aquaculture, which reached its lowest production levels in 2003-2008 but now is partially recovering. In both cases, progress is most evident in water-deficient Uzbekistan. Fish capture in Kazakhstan's Ili River ecosystem, including Kapchagay Reservoir and Lake Balkhash, is now dropping precipitously. Effects on the lake's fisheries have been magnified by the disproportionate rates of disappearance of valuable carp and pike-perch. The interrelationships between water, energy, and food underlie these threats to Central Asia's fish and define a classic "wicked problem" that must be addressed regionally with explicit attention given to fish as important components of the ecosystem. Recent developments, although not all positive, give reason for cautious optimism that the region's fisheries and aquaculture industries can be stabilized.

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Evolution of landscape pattern and the association with ecosystem services in the Ili-Balkhash Basin

Feng

Ochoa

Jarvis

et al. 2022

Environ Monit Assess

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Vegetation, fauna, and biodiversity of the Ile Delta and southern Lake Balkhash — A review

Cited by 43 publications

References 21 publications

Water Consumption of Agriculture and Natural Ecosystems along the Ili River in China and Kazakhstan

Water Consumption of Agriculture and Natural Ecosystems along the Ili River in China and Kazakhstan

The Current Status and Future of Central Asia’s Fish and Fisheries: Confronting a Wicked Problem

Evolution of landscape pattern and the association with ecosystem services in the Ili-Balkhash Basin

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