The changing water cycle: Burabay National Nature Park, Northern Kazakhstan. (18th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yapiyev, Vadim; Sagintayev, Zhanay; Verhoef, Anne; Kassymbekova, Anara; Baigaliyeva, Marzhan; Zhumabayev, Dauren; Malgazhdar, Daniyar; Abudanash, Damira; Ongdas, Nurlan; Jumassultanova, Saltanat
• Is Part Of: Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Volume 4:Number 5(2017)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2017-05-18
• Subjects: Burabay National Nature Park -- Central Asia -- endorheic lake -- Kazakhstan -- water balance -- climate change -- lake evaporation; Hydrology -- Periodicals; 553.705
• DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1227
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2049-1948

Abstract

Abstract : Water resources in Central Asia are scarce, so complicated issues arise from this. Kazakhstan is a Central Asian landlocked country, which has mostly closed drainage basins, characterized by endorheic lakes that do not drain to the oceans. These endorheic lakes are very sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic influences. Very few studies have been conducted on the hydrological cycle of the small endorheic lakes. This work reviews the endorheic lakes within Burabay National Nature Park (BNNP), Northern Kazakhstan. BNNP is a small ecozone consisting of terminal lakes watersheds covered by mixed forests and grasslands. These endorheic lakes have been drying out during the last one hundred years or so with the water level decrease accelerated in the past few decades. According to historical observations (1935–2014), on the one hand precipitation amounts did not significantly change, while on the other hand, air temperature steadily increased. The lake level decrease is most probably caused by a water budget deficit, with evaporation exceeding the precipitation inputs in the long term. The direct anthropogenic impact (water abstraction) plays a minor role in the deterioration of water levels, with most significant impacts through localized land‐use changes such as road and building construction in the catchments. The future of the park's sensitive ecosystems in a changing climate is uncertain; therefore, BNNP requires modern ecohydrological monitoring methods and analysis tools to improve our understanding of its hydrological cycle variability, and to enable us to develop adequate adaptation and mitigation measures. WIREs Water 2017, 4:e1227. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1227 This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change Abstract : The view from the top of Kokshetau Mountain (947 m asl). Left: Ulken Shabakty Lake, Right: Burabay Lake (2014), In the middle: Burabay Settlement.