Estimation of Total Water Storage Changes Over the Balkhash Lake Basin of Central Asia from Multi-Satellite Data
Abstract
Trans-boundary water conflict in Central Asia is a serious water resource issue in the world. The Balkhash Lake, which is located in southeastern Kazakhstan, is the world's fifth largest isolated reservoir and its water level is important for local weather and ecology in Central Asia. Recently, the lake level exhibited irregular fluctuations because of the decreasing runoff from the Ili River, which originates from glacial melt water and precipitation of the northern Tian Shan Mountains of Xinjiang, China, occupying about 80% of the runoff of all rivers flowing into the Balkhash Lake. Based on multi-satellite data and hydrological data, this study assesses the total water storage (TWS) over the Balkhash Lake basin (BLB). Results show that the operation of the Kapchagay reservoir have significantly affected the Balkhash Lake's levels, especially during the period 1970-1990. Expansion of agricultural land brought an increasing trend in water consumption due to evapotranspiration from increasing irrigation. In addition, climate change and human activities are likely to exacerbate the state of water resources in the BLB. The results presented here provide essential information for a comprehensive understanding of TWS variations in the BLB, and therefore can contribute to improve water resources management.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.H31B..07D
- Keywords:
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- 1836 Hydrological cycles and budgets;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1840 Hydrometeorology;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1848 Monitoring networks;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1855 Remote sensing;
- HYDROLOGY