DAURIANDAURIAN WETLANDSWETLANDS (,(CHINA, MONGOLIA,MONGOLIA, RUSSIA)RUSSIA) UNDERUNDER PRESSURESPRESSURES OFOF DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT ANDAND CLIMATECLIMATE VARIATIONVARIATION

E.A.Simonov (1) O.A.Goroshko (2) T.E.Tkachuk (2)

(1) Coalition “Rivers without Boundaries” (2) Daursky Biosphere Reserve (DIPA) Transboundary Torey Lakes r ve Ri n wetlands gu Ar Haila of Dauria er River Dalay (Hulun) Lake

er Riv en RAMSAR SITES erl Kh K h a lk h R iv e r globallyendangered species from IUCNRed List biodiversityecosystems,of give habitats somefor wetlandsprovide highest productivity and Daurian SwanGoose SwanGoose Photo by O.A.Goroshko Gulls,cormorants 6species cranes of 6species cranes of tensof Water level of Torey Lakes in the period 1890-2008 (by V.A.Obyazov,1994 with additions by O.A.Goroshko)

Torey lakes on maps based on different years data: 1949 1968-1973

Once in some 24-42 years droughts and wet stages alter, great lakes dry and refill with no any efforts of humans Cyclical climate changes drive ecosystem dynamics, structure and productivity

Concordance between precipitation and water level

2,0 Annual precipitation dinamics in Onon- inter-river area

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(K- 1) 0,5

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-0,5 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year

Level, m asl Water Level of Barun-Torey Lake, m a.s.l. 600

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593 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 (by V.A.Obyazov, 2011) years Torey Lakes in 2001 and 2009 (Landsat images)

Reeds Reeds Dynamics of Torey Lakes

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Nesting area of Red-Crowned Crane at Argun River, June 2004

Гнездовой участок японских журавлей на р. Аргунь в июне 2004 г. O.A.Goroshko O.A.Goroshko Photo by by Photo Photo by by Photo Nesting area of Red-Crowned Crane at Argun River, June 2009 Гнездовой участок японских5 журавлей на р. Аргунь в июне 2009 г. O.A.Goroshko O.A.Goroshko Photo by by Photo Photo by by Photo Pressure factors and transboundary impacts Water Water-dependent management: activities: • Excessive • Wildfires extraction • Overfishing • Water transfers • Overgrazing • Water pollution • Waterfowl hunting • Embankment • Mining impacts construction • Thermal power plant impact • Irrigation Major impacts on wetlands (summary) THREATS in Argun River basin: WETLANDS • Hailaer (Argun) River -Dalai Lake water Argun River basin: transfer – 1.05 cubic kilometers annually ( in operation since 2009) • Dalai Lake National • Water consumption from new reservoirs Nature Reserve, upstream in Hailaer basin -1.0 cub. km. annually (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) Ramsar site (China) • China Gold Co copper mine – water pipeline from Dalai Lake ( stopped due to Ramsar convention requirements in 2008) • Upper Argun River • Kherlen-Gobi water transfer scheme floodplain (Sino- Russian border –not • Hulunbeier Oil fields (in operation) listed and not • Coalmines and thermal power stations- thermal protected yet) pollution and change in hydrology • Polluting industry along Hailaer river- (in operation and under construction) • Lake Buir and its • Municipal sewage from Hailaer and surrounding • Irrigation schemes along Hailaer and Khalkh wetlands Ramsar rivers • Halaha- Xilingol water transfer (EIA in 2010) site, (Mongolia) • Mongolian oil fields Uldz River basin: THREATS in Uldz-Torey basin: Torey Lakes Ramsar site •Mining and ore processing operations (Russia) •Excessive livestock in river valley Mongol Daguur (Mongolian •Overgrazing of peat lands in headwaters Dauria) Ramsar site (Mongolia) WATER CONSUMPTION: CRISIS PLANNED IN ADVANCE Northeast CHINA “Revitalization of Old industrial Bases” Policy : 1) Increase water supply from transboundary watercourses (Khalkh, Argun-Eerguna).

2)Develop water transfer schemes within the -Heilong River Basin and to adjacent basins, where already achieved water deficit is much worse.

3)Increase water consumption in Argun-Erguna River basin by 1000%. • Hailaer-Dalai water transfer – 1.05 cubic kilometers annually • Water consumption from new reservoirs upstream -1.0 cub. km. annually • Halaha- Xilingol water transfer • Mean annual flow of Argun- Hailaer river – only 3.5 cub. km. МОНГОЛИЯ -- MONGOLIA Mongolia –changing pattern of development – growing water demand for industry, irrigation and “preventing desertification”. Монголия – резкая смена «стратегии » развития • Water demand from mining industries in Gobi Desert and “Green Belt of Mongolia” anti- desertification plan GOBI • Proposed water transfers from Selenge, Onon, Kherlen, Uldz, Baldj Rivers to Gobi Desert. • Achieving self-sufficiency in grain through irrigated agriculture • 2010 National Water Programme – massive intensification of water use and hydropower construction Развитие горнодобывающего сектора в Гоби – необходимость водоснабжения и «улучшения среды » Самообеспечение продовольствием за Park of Mongolian-Russian Friendship счет ирригации on at Choibalsan План переброски северных рек - Селенги , Парк российскомонгольской Керулена , Ульдзы и др . дружбы в Чойбалсане р.Керулен В озеро Далай —To Dalai Lake Kherlen transfer Desert water River-Gobi Керулен первая . transfer of Kherlen River to Gobi desert р Water Water Programme - фаза проекта Mongolian National National Mongolian First stage – Переброска • http://arguncrisis.ru/

Example: Hailaer River Dalai Lake water transfer (built in 2009) Hailaer River-Dalai Lake water transfer Alteration of flooding regime with 1.05 cubic kilometer withdrawal. Upper Argun river Kuti Village. Modelling ordered by Amur Water Authority 2009 Моделирование влияния отбора 1,05 кубокилометра воды

350

1.Without 300water withdrawal

Выход воды на пойму 250

1 Level of floodplain 200 с / 3 м 150 2 2.After water withdrawal 100

50

0 17. апр 07. май 27. май 16. июн 06. июл 26. июл 15. авг 04. сен 24. сен 14. окт 03. ноя 1.Water level dynamics in 2004 (P=50%)- 50 days of flooding – Гидрограф в д.Кути в год 50% обеспеченности (2004) 2. Water level after withdrawal – no flooding – Год 50% обеспеченности -при проектном отборе воды пойма не заполнится водой Birds habitats Leymus Sedge Calamagrostis meadows + willows reeds meadows meadows Halophytic steppe vegetation Birds habitats Leymus Sedge Calamagrostis meadows + willows reeds meadows meadows Halophytic steppe vegetation It is possible to reverse the negative trends by: • Establishing a Chinese-Russian-Mongolian intergovernmental task force on economic and ecological adaptation of management policies in Dauria to changing climate conditions;

• Signing an agreement on environmental flow norms for transboundary rivers of the Argun/Hailaer sub-basin and provisions for sustaining natural dynamics of water allocation to wetlands;

• Setting up a wetland monitoring system to measure the effects of climate change and human impacts;

• Enhancing the network of protected wetland areas to provide for migration and breeding of species and to preserve the key hydrological features and all important refuges during a drought period;

• Implementing an awareness-raising programme on climate adaptation in transboundary Dauria. Thank you for your attention!