Naryn-Syrdarya
river basin

Physiogeographical location

The Naryn-Syrdarya basin (hereinafter referred to as the basin) borders with the Issyk-Kul-Tarim basin in the east and northeast, the Chui basin in the north, the Talas basin in the northwest, and the Karadarya-Syrdarya-Amudarya basin in the south and southwest.

Length

In terms of catchment area, the basin is one of the largest in the republic, its area is 67554 km2 or 34% of the total territory of the republic.  The administrative-territorial division includes Naryn oblast and rayons of Jalal-Abad oblast located along the right bank of the Syr-Darya river, these are following Aksy, Alabuka, Chatkal, Toktogul, and Toguz-Torooz rayons.

The basin includes

The main watercourse is the Naryn River,   the right component of the Syr-Darya River.  The Naryn r. flows in the Inner Tien Shan, taking numerous tributaries (Big Naryn, Small Naryn, At-Bashi, Kekemeren, Alabuga, Uzun-Akhmat, Kara-Suu left, etc.). The Naryn-Syrdarya basin also includes the Chatkal, Gavasay, Kekserek, Sumsar, Kassansay and Padshaata river basins, which are right-bank tributaries of the Syrdarya r. within the state border of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Agriculture and animal husbandry

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The share in the total republican volume of gross output of agriculture, forestry and fishery of the region under consideration is 22,0-24,0% (crop production) and 29,0-31,0% (livestock production). At the same time, the crop production sector in Jalal-Abad oblast is 52,0-54,0 %, while in Naryn oblast it is only 19,0-26,0.%.

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The total sown area amounted to 140 - 148 thous. ha. In the composition of sown crops cereals account for 27%, oilseeds - 33%, potatoes - 7%, perennial grasses - 5%.

In reference to the number of main livestock species, there has been a steady increase in recent years in cattle (18%), horses (20%) and goats and sheep (8%), which has led to increased pressure on pastures.

CURRENT SITUATION​

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thousand people
The population of the basin in 2021 was only 700.9 thousand people, including 292.1 thousand people, in the Naryn oblast, 408.8 thousand people in five rayons (Aksyy, Alabukinsky, Chatkal, Toktogul, and Toguz–Torouz) of the Jalal-Abad oblast. Of these, 88 % of the population lived in villages and 12 % in urban areas. In 2017-2021, there was an increase in the permanent population of the basin by 35,9 thousand people or 5,4%.

Industry and hydropower

The main production of gold, electric power, hard coal and lignite, crude oil, natural gas in gaseous state, which has an impact on the natural environment, including water resources, is concentrated within the basin under consideration. In monetary terms, in recent years the volume of industrial output has reached 48-53% of the nationwide level.

Currently, only about 30 percent of the hydropower potential of the Kyrgyz Republic is utilized.

The water resources of the Naryn r. are used to generate electricity to meet the needs of the entire republic, for which the Nizhne-Naryn HPP cascade was built, consisting of five HPPs — Toktogul, Kurpsai, Tashkumyr, Shamaldysai and Uchkurgan with a total installed capacity of 2,870 MW.  In addition, two stations are under construction: Kambarata HPP-1 and HPP-2, commissioning of these plants will add 2,260 MW to the total generating capacity, which will increase annual electricity generation.

Tourism

The territory

The basin under consideration has a high tourist potential and is the starting point for many tourist routes along the Tien Shan Mountains. Marco Polo’s hunting tours for mountain goats and argali, as well as multi-day expeditions on foot and horseback, tours along the Great Silk Road involve visiting the ancient caravanserai Tash-Rabat, as well as Son-Kul, Kel-Suu lakes and others.
The Naryn r. is the main tourist attraction and serves as an excellent place for rafting of all categories of difficulty, attracting extreme rafters.
There are opportunities to organize mountain and scientific-cognitive tourist routes based on natural state reserves around Lake Son-Kul.
On the territory of Jalal-Abad oblast there are unique unique relict nut forests in the vicinity of Sary-Chelek lake (Aksy district), Besharal and Sarychelek reserves, 15 nature preserves (hunting, forest, botanical, geological), 5 hunting farms provide excellent opportunities for hunting tourism.

Observed climate change

The Issyk-Kul rayon, due to its ecological features, is the most developed in the resort and recreational direction, and thus attracts numerous tourists. The total population of Issyk-Kul rayon is more than 97  thousand people, but in the summer tourist season, only the number of tourists reaches one million people. The most negative impact on ecology around the lake and entire biospheric territory is made by the discharge of wastewater from settlements, objects of tourist industry, trade and catering.There are 124 water treatment facilities in Issyk-Kul oblast, of which 89 work satisfactorily, 23 are unsatisfactory and 12 are not functional. According to the form of ownership, the majority of water treatment facilities are 87 private health institutions and recreational houses, 29 — departmental, 4 — municipal and 4 — treatment facilities of recreational houses of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Use of water resources

The annual water abstraction from surface sources, including groundwater, in the basin’s territory is about 1.1 billion m₃, of which about 800 billion m₃ is used for various needs.

Sampling of water use on the territory of the Naryn-Syrdarya basin (million m/cubic meter)

No Data Found

WATER ABSTRUCTION and use for 2017-2021

WATER LOSSES FOR 2017-2021

Of the total volume of water abstracted, about 28% are losses, mainly from irrigation systems.

No Data Found

Of the annual water use volumes, about 99 % is used for irrigation, 1 % for domestic and drinking needs.

No Data Found

WATER CONSUMPTION STRUCTURE FOR 2021

Projected climate change

climate change

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Analysis of air temperature and temperature change due to climate change has shown that in the period 2021-2050, annual air temperature is expected to increase by 1.5...1.9°C (optimistic and pessimistic scenarios) compared to the baseline climate of 1981-2010. The largest temperature increase is expected in summer - by 1.7...2.2°C, in other seasons of the year the temperature increase is expected to be comparable to the forecast annual temperature increase.

glaciers

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In the Naryn r. b., the number of glaciers decreased by 6% in the period 1977-2000, and by 10% in the northern frame of the Fergana Range. The area and volume of glaciation decreased by 19-20% in the Naryn basin and by 23-24% in the river basins located in the northern frame of the Fergana Range. According to the projections under the assumed climate changes, glaciers in the basin under consideration may be preserved only in the highest eastern part of the basin by 2100. It is highly likely that the basin's river runoff will slightly increase until the 2020s due to the glacier storeactivity, but then will decrease significantly - up to 40-52% in the r.b. the Naryn, and in the southern part of Ferghana Valley - up to 30-46% of the 2000 runoff.

glaciers

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Based on the identified current trends of water discharge changes, the forecast of Naryn River flow changes for the coming decade was obtained using statistical methods. According to the surveys, flow reduction should be expected practically in all studied rivers, except for the Uzunahmat r. The area of semi-deserts will increase in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic by 1,8-2,1 times, including in the Naryn oblast by 1,6- 3,0 times. There are 789 mudflow rivers in the Naryn r.b., with the greatest selenosity being the Alabuga River and Sredne-Naryn depression, within which the regional center of Naryn is located. Passage of mudflows is also characteristic of the right-bank tributaries of the Syr-Darya river. Mudflows, floods and mountain lake outbursts are expected to increase in the future.

Existing issues and remedies

The main problems of agricultural sector are the absence of a processing cycle and lack of mineral fertilizers, lack of selection works.

Development of the processing industry and transportation infrastructure.  Adequate supply of mineral fertilizers and attraction of investments.

According to the irrigation fund, the total length of the irrigation channels of the basin is 814,2 km, of which only about 60% are in satisfactory condition, the remaining 40% require major and current repairs. The highest value of losses from irrigation systems is noted in the Jalal-Abad oblast, reaching 63% of the water intake in some years, in the Naryn oblast the value of losses is about 30% of the water intake.

 

With a further trend in the population growth, the pressure on water resources will increase.

 

Providing water consumers with water metering devices for the rational use of drinking water, perform additional research, clarification and approval of groundwater reserves within a deposit location(s).

Establishing adequate tariffs for the supply of drinking water.

  1. Ecology: the irrigated agriculture, animal husbandry and household services are the main polluters of surface and ground waters. The quality of surface and ground waters is negatively affected by wastewater from the cities of the basin and municipal solid waste dumps.

Considering that the concept of development of regional plans to commission into operation a number of production facilities, mainly processing industry entities, and development of the mining industry, in the future, the quality of water may deteriorate significantly.

 

According to the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Development Program in settlements of the Kyrgyz Republic, by 2026 it is planned to build and rehabilitate the drinking water supply system and treatment facilities in Naryn, Toktogul, Kerben, Tash-Kumyr and the Arslanbab cities.

One of the topical issues of the hydropower sector are the issues of state regulation, efficiency of the existing system of tariff setting, licensing, obtaining rights for construction of HPPs, and gaps in legislation.

Reconstruction and modernization of Toktogul HPP, At-Bashy HPP.

Construction of Kazarman HPP cascade, Kulanak HPP cascade.

Immediate targets for introducing new capacity include the construction of the remaining two 120 MW units at Kambar-Ata-2 HPP. Long-term plans for the development of the Kambarat-1 HPP with a capacity of 1,860 MW and the Verkhnyi-Naryn HPP cascade (more than 200 MW) will ensure the production of an additional five TWh-hours.

The area of irrigated lands of the basin is 142.3 thous. ha, of which 8,6 thous. ha are in unsatisfactory condition due to salinization of 7,6 thous. ha. Thus, 7% of irrigated lands are in unsatisfactory condition. At the same time, the largest areas of irrigated lands in poor condition are located in Naryn (5,1 thous. ha), Aktala (1,3 thous. ha) and Jumgal (1,3 thous. ha) rayons. 

 

The State funding for rehabilitation and (re)construction of irrigation systems is increased annually.  By 2026, eleven facilities are planned to be commissioned in the basin under consideration in order to introduce new irrigated lands on an area of 12,731 hectares, increase water availability on an area of 8,868 hectares, transfer 2,800 ha of conditionally irrigated lands to irrigated ones, and also transfer 5,000 ha to gravity irrigation.

With a further trend in the population growth, the pressure on water resources will increase.

 

Providing water consumers with water metering devices for the rational use of drinking water, perform additional research, clarification and approval of groundwater reserves within a deposit location(s).

Establishing adequate tariffs for the supply of drinking water.

  1. Ecology: the irrigated agriculture, animal husbandry and household services are the main polluters of surface and ground waters. The quality of surface and ground waters is negatively affected by wastewater from the cities of the basin and municipal solid waste dumps.

Considering that the concept of development of regional plans to commission into operation a number of production facilities, mainly processing industry entities, and development of the mining industry, in the future, the quality of water may deteriorate significantly.

 

According to the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Development Program in settlements of the Kyrgyz Republic, by 2026 it is planned to build and rehabilitate the drinking water supply system and treatment facilities in Naryn, Toktogul, Kerben, Tash-Kumyr and the Arslanbab cities.

River basin development tendency

The development of Naryn-Syrdarya will be in line with objectives of the National Development Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2018–2040, and implementation of the National Water Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2040.

The Strategic Vision for the development of the considered basin can be formulated as follows:
The economic and social activities of the population in Naryn, Syrdarya basin are developing in harmony with the natural environment.

The basin development will proceed in the following directions:

Hydraulic power

The first area of development in the basin is hydropower. The rivers of the basin and their tributaries belong to Mountain Rivers, which are characterized by high gradients and high potential capacity. The Chatkal River basin has the highest water-energy potential per unit area - 2340 thousand kWh per 1 km2, while the Naryn r. b. takes the first place in terms of total potential hydropower reserves. The Naryn River basin has 36% of basin and 44% of linear water-energy resources of Kyrgyzstan. Transit infrastructure development. The creation a favorable investment climate, and implement interventions to eliminate existing problems in the field of legislation, tax administration and government regulation.

Agriculture and Irrigation systems improvement

The second direction of basin development is the production of ecologically clean crop products for neighboring and far-abroad countries. In agriculture, it is important to provide access to crediting resources, support with the supply of mineral fertilizers and chemicals. In addition, it is relevant to improve the state of agricultural irrigation.

Livestock

Natural and climatic conditions of the basin are favorable for cattle breeding. The analysis of the ratio of the volume of products produced by priority sectors shows that the economically important sector of Naryn oblast is livestock breeding, which significantly covers the needs of the oblast in meat. The oblast is a leader in the number of horses and yaks. Therefore, the growing point for Naryn oblast is the production of livestock products for the markets of near and far-abroad countries. In this regard, it is necessary to carry out measures to improve the breeding stock of livestock, improve the quality of veterinary services, and improve the fodder base. Meat processing plants will need to be established.