Water Quality of the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia: Pollution Threats and Hotspots Assessment (2013)
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UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" Water Quality of the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia: Pollution threats and hotspots assessment Final report with support of The intellectual property rights belong to UNOPS and UNDP, the information should not be used by a third party before consulting with the project. UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" GEF project “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem” (Mongolia and Russia), 2011-2014 Technical report under Output 1.4 (pollution hotspot assessment) Water Quality of the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia: Pollution threats and hotspots assessment (2013) International executing partner for Output 1.4 (pollution hotspot assessment) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO ©Batimaa, P., 2013 Figure 5. The Kharaa River at Baruunkharaa hydrological gauging station (21 July 2012) Photo credits: Batimaa Punsalmaa and Mongolia Water Forum The intellectual property rights belong to UNOPS and UNDP, the information should not be used by a third party before consulting with the project. Figure 6. The Kharaa River Basin and water quality monitoring sites Pollution threats and hotspots assessment 27 UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" WaterWater Quality Quality of the of theKharaa Kharaa River River Basin,Basin, Mongolia: Mongolia PollutionPollution threats threats and hotspotsand hotspots assessment assessment Final report Editor: Editor: Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, UNESCO International Hydrological Programme Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, UNESCO Prepared by: Prepared Batimaaby: Punsalmaa, Mongolia Water Forum - Uskhelts Erdenbayar Yadamsuren, Central Laboratory for Environment and Meteorology of Mongolia Batimaa Punsalmaa, Mongolia Water Forum - Uskhelts ErdenbayarTumurstooj Yadamsuren, Dashdorj, Central Institute Laboratory of Meteorology, for Environment Hydrology and Meteorologyand Environment of Mongolia TumurstoojOyuntugs Dashdorj, Tserendendev, Institute of Meteorology, National Water Hydrology Committee and of Environment Mongolia Oyuntugs DavaadalaiTserendendev, Batnasan, National Mongolia Water WaterCommittee Forum of – MongoliaUskhelts Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, UNESCO International Hydrological Programme Davaadalai Batnasan, Mongolia Water Forum – Uskhelts Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, UNESCO (Paris, France) with support of Ulaanbaatar 2013 Ulaanbaatar The intellectual property rights belong to UNOPS and UNDP, the2013 information should not be used by a third party before consulting with the project. UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" The intellectual property rights belong to UNOPS and UNDP, the information should not be used by a third party before consulting with the project. UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" This report presents results of water quality assessment of the Selenge River Basin (Mongolia), with specific emphasis on assessment of pollution threats and pollution hotspots in the Kharaa River Basin. The study was conducted in the framework of UNESCO-executed activities under the UNDP- GEF Project on “Integrated Natural Resources Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem” (Mongolia and Russia). The project objective is to spearhead integrated natural resources management of Lake Baikal Basin, ensuring ecosystem resilience and reduced water quality threats in the context of sustainable economic development. The project is executed by UNOPS. UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) is an international executing partner for the project. This study was carried out by UNESCO, in collaboration with the National Water Committee of Mongolia, Mongolia Water Forum-Uskhelts and a national team of experts. The study and report preparation was coordinated by Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO. The national team of experts was coordinated by Tsend Badrakh, National Water Committee of Mongolia, and comprised the following experts: Batimaa Punsalmaa, Mongolia Water Forum - Uskhelts; Erdenbayar Yadamsuren, Central Laboratory for Environment and Meteorology; Tumurstooj Dashdorj, Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment; Oyuntugs Tserendendev, National Water Committee of Mongolia; and Davaadalai Batnasan, Mongolia Water Forum-Uskhelts. Tserendolgor Munkhtsetseg, Mongolia Water Forum - Uskhelts, assisted in the preparation of the report for publishing. Findings and recommendations of the study were discussed with relevant stakeholders at the National Workshop “Selenge – A River without Borders”, organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the National Water Committee and Ministry of Environment and Green Development of Mongolia, which took place in the State Palace in Ulaanbaatar on 04 June 2013. The workshop participants included representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Green Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Agriculture, River Basin Authorities, research institutions, universities, NGOs and the private sector. The key outcomes of the workshop discussions were incorporated in this final report. The report also benefited from discussions at the scoping meetings and workshops, organized by UNESCO in the framework of this study. The publication of this report was made possible with the support of Sergey Kudelya, Project Manager (Ulan-Ude, Russia), and Tumurchudur Sodnom, Technical Director (Mongolia), of the GEF project “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Eco- system”. The intellectual property rights belong to UNOPS and UNDP, the information should not be used by a third party before consulting with the Pollutionproject. threats and hotspots assessment I UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" The intellectual property rights belong to UNOPS and UNDP, the information should not be used by a third party before consulting with the II project. Water Quality of the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia: UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" Foreword by Prime Minister of Mongolia Throughout the human history, we, Mongolians, valued the water as the basis of all existence on theForeword Earth and theby unique treasure of the world. ThePrime Government Minister of ofMongolia Mongolia attaches great importance to the protection and sustainable use of this precious resource and, in particu- lar,Throughout to establishing the human an effective history, policywe, Mongolians, and legal totransboundary new challenges water and resourcesthreats resulting is essential. from frameworkvalued the forwater water as the resources basis of allmanagement. existence on climateFurthermore, change theimpacts support on waterof internationalresources. I am pleased that the project on “Integrated Nat- the Earth and the unique treasure of the world. organizations is needed to strengthen WaterThe Governmentis a special resource of Mongolia that is attaches not confined great uralcooperation Resource to Management face up to new in challengesthe Baikal andBa- toimportance a country’s to territory the protection or political and boundaries. sustainable sinthreats Transboundary resulting from Ecosystem”, climate change implemented impacts Mongoliause of this is preciouslocated in resource the heart and, of Centralin particular, Asia, byon various water resources. UN organizations, I am pleased responds that the projectto this whereto establishing the headwaters an effective of world’s policy many and largelegal needon “Integrated and to the Natural goals that Resource the Mongolian Management Gov- riversframework are formed for water by resources runoff from management. numerous ernmentin the Baikal has prioritized Basin Transboundary for sustainable Ecosystem”, use and springs, snowmelt and glaciers of the Mongo- managementimplemented of by natural various and UN water organizations, resources. I lianWater mountains. is a special Mongolians resource thathave is anot long confined tradi- wouldresponds like to to this warmly need congratulate and to the goals the organizthat the- tionto a of country’s conserving territory the purity or political of water boundaries. resources ersMongolian and participants Government of the Nationalhas prioritized Workshop for thatMongolia originate is inlocated our country’s in the territoryheart of and Central flow entitledsustainable “Selenge—A use and River management without Borders” of natural for and water resources. I would like to warmly outAsia, to ourwhere neighboring the headwaters countries. Thisof traditionworld’s providing a platform to discuss the results of the many large rivers are formed by runoff from congratulate the organizers and participants has been preserved from generation to genera- project studies presented in this report on wa- numerous springs, snowmelt and glaciers of of the National Workshop entitled “Selenge-A tion and has been enshrined in the Mongolian ter quality of the Kharaa River, which I consider the Mongolian mountains. Mongolians have a River without Borders” for providing a platform government’slong tradition policy of conserving on water the resources purity of manwater- anto importantdiscuss the contribution results of tothe maintain project