Journal of Ecological Engineering Received: 2018.09.26 Revised: 2018.11.15 Volume 20, Issue 3, March 2019, pages 194–203 Accepted: 2019.01.13 Available online: 2019.01.20 https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/99783 Water Economy Balance of the Almaty City Alexander G. Chigrinets1*, Lidiya P. Mazur2, Kassym K. Duskayev1, Larissa Y. Chigrinets1, Saniya T. Akhmetova1 1 Department of meteorology and hydrology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan 2 Ecology Problems Research Institute at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan * Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT This article provides and analyses the detailed water balances of the Almaty city in regards to the water resources, the share of which for different water bodies is 50%, 75% or 95% at the present level of surface and groundwater use. We have quantitatively assessed such surface water resources for specific water bodies and for the whole city. We have analysed the field studies of channel water balances of small rivers conducted in 2006, 2007 and 2013 (Almaty city) to identify the areas of abstraction losses and groundwater outcrop in riverbeds. The water balance analysis shows that Almaty city suffers from significant deficits in water resources. On the basis of the popula- tion growth dynamics, we assume that it will only increase. We have clarified the methods for calculating hydro- meteorological characteristics and gained the updated information about the stream flows in a number of control sections and the channel water balances of the Karasu. Keywords: mountain sources, Karasu (rivers), intra-annual flow distribution, water resources, evaporation, irrigation INTRODUCTION The accelerated growth in water consumption is determined by the global economic growth and Providing urban territory with industrial and the food crises in many countries [Berg, 2015]. drinking water is a main part of hydrology. The Therefore, about 60 UNESCO states carry out water balance studies are focused on quantitative scientific research to update their own data on wa- water resource assessment in a particular econom- ter resources and exchange the experience on opti- ic area or river basin [Charalambous, Bruggeman, mal and integrated use of natural waters based on Lange, 2012]. They are designed for rational and a single program. The principles and guidelines of scientifically substantiated water management. water balance analysis are universal [Fowe et al., Water balance is used in water resources manage- 2015; Rushforth, Adams, Ruddell, 2013; Tsouka- ment and during the process of developing the las, Makropoulos, 2015]. However, the studies on diagrams of water resources use and protection the problems of urban hydrology and the proce- [Comair et al., 2014]. Water scarcity is a global dure of drawing up water balances are contradic- problem: 97% of all water resources of the planet tory [Paterson et al., 2015; Ruddell et al., 2014]. are the oceans and seas, and only 3% corresponds As the urban population grows, the problems to fresh water, which is also quite difficult to use, of rational and integrated use of water resources as it is trapped in the form of ice, soil moisture, and their territorial redistribution are aggraveted. and groundwater [Bacon, 2009]. More than a half This issue is particularly relevant when it comes of fresh water is concentrated in glaciers. The to mountain and foothill areas, the environment conflict between the rapid growth of consump- of which is difficult for the water flow formation tion and the unchanged volume of water is the and where the largest city of the Republic of Ka- main reason standing behind the lack of water. zakhstan – Almaty – is located. 194 Journal of Ecological Engineering Vol. 20(3), 2019 The Almaty city is located at the bottom of the or 95% at the present level of water resources se- northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau ridge – one curity. We have chosen the following intervals for of the spurs of the mountain range of the north- calculations – months and years. Selected ground- ern Tien Shan. The average height of the city is water volume as part of water economic balance, as 800 meters above the sea. It is a large scientific, well as its other components, was taken according cultural, financial and industrial center [Rawaf, to the state statistical reporting, or was obtained De Maeseneer, Starfield, 2008]. by the calculation method. The regulating releas- In Almaty, small rivers annualy attract more es for channels were fixed according to the proce- and more attention, as their water is widely used dures [Nouiri et al., 2015; Ouyang et al., 2014]. for household and drinking purposes, irrigation, Total water resources of the Almaty city in- industry, power generation, recreation and other volve the stream flow and drainage basins cover- purposes. The health and well-being of the ur- ing the territory. The control section with the high- ban population depends on their ecological state. est water content was selected for calculations. In Karasu is an important source of water balance in different periods (different water content), total Almaty. These are small rivers fed by the ground- water resources are calculated through the total water egress in the foothills and mountain val- runoff, the share of which is equal for the rivers leys. The first description of an annual stream passing the studied territory. In determining the flow in this region was made in 1965 [Arhondit- water resources of the Almaty city, we have cal- sis et al., 2006]. A detailed hydrological map was culated the water resources of major rivers (Ma- prepared while the Big Almaty Channel was de- laya Almatinka, Bolshaya Almatinka, Karagaly) signed [Ospanov, Myrzakhmetov, Zholguttiyev, that cross the urban area and mountain sources 2015] and the project of river channel improve- (Abylgaziev, Botbaysay, Tiksay, Terisbulak, Ke- ment was developed for Malaya and Bolshaya renkulak, Boroldai et al.) feeding the major riv- Almatinka, and Esentai [Mynbaeva, 2016]. Wa- ers and water resources of Karasu (Ashchibulak, ter Management Assessment in Almaty is a part Terenkara, Sultanka, Moyka, Karasu-Turksib, of the ecological safety program in Kazakhstan Boroldai, Dzhigitovka et al.) and forming a flow [Dahl, Kuralbayeva, 2001]. The almaty territory within the urban area. is constantly expanding. Over the past six years, Bolshaya Almatinka water resources were its territory has increased significantly. The urban calculated through the total runoff, the share of population has also grown. These changes di- which is equal for the control sections of the Bol- rectly affect the volume of water consumption in shaya Almatinka – 2 km higher up the Prohod- urban areas. naya river mouth and Terisbutak river mouth; for The relevance of the research topic is deter- the Karagaly river – in the control section of the mined by constantly growing water consumption river passing the Chapaev Kolkhoz, and for the and reducing water resources of rivers that cross Aksai river – in the control section of the river the territory of Almaty city on the back of devel- passing the Kordon Aksay. oping sectors of industrial production, growing Selected groundwater volume as part of the municipal urban management needs, growing water balance is of 191 058 thousand m3, in- population and territory etc. cluding the groundwater from the Almaty ba- The purpose of this study is to quantitatively sin (125.645 thousand m3) and the groundwa- assess the hydrological characteristics of teritorial ter from the Talgarsky basin transferred to the water bodies under modern conditions; to assess Almaty basin (61777 thousand m3 according water resources, provide and analyze the water to the Balkhash-Alakol Basin Water Agency balance of the Almaty city. We have considered (BABWA). Besides the surface flow, water bal- the studies regarding the water balance of the riv- ance involves precipitation, water outcrop in riv- er channels that crossing the territory of the city. erbeds and utilized sewage (7114 thousand m3, according to BABWA) . The data on precipitation are used by weather MATERIALS AND METHODS stations of Almaty, which height (847 m BS) is close to the average height of the city (800 m BS). The water balances for the Almaty city are The values ​​of water outcrop in the chan- drawn up in regards to water resources, the share nels of major rivers (Malaya Almaty, Bolshaya of which for different water bodies is 50%, 75% Almaty and Karagaly) and channel losses were 195 Journal of Ecological Engineering Vol. 20(3), 2019 taken mainly based on the results of the chan- Table 1. Length of the studied sections of the channel nel water balance measurements carried out on water balance (CWB) of small rivers of the Almaty city the territory of Almaty in 2005, 2006 and 2012 Length of No River [Chigrinets, 2006; Chigrinets, Dolbeshkin, 2012; CWB, km Chigrinets, Duskaev, 2005]. Major rivers (with arms) While conducting the research, attention was 1 Kargaly 8.72 paid to the channel balance of the major rivers: 2 Bolshaya Almatinka 30.1 the Malaya Almatinka with the the Esentai River 3 Malaya Almatinka 26.0 Esentai (Vesnovka) – left arm of the 4 34.1 arm, the Bolshaya Almatinka and the Kargaly; Malaya Almatinka Karasu: in the Bolshaya Almatinka basin – the Zharbulak (Kazachka) – right arm of the 5 18.8 Boroldai River and the Dzhigitovka River; in the Malaya Almatinka Malaya Almatinka basin – the Ashchibulak, Te- Karasu renkara, Sultan-Karasu, Moyka (Moyka-Karasu), 1 Borolday (Burunday) 16.2 Dzhigitovka (with a pond system of the Karasu-Turksib rivers, as well unnamed rivers 2 11.2 JSC BENT) feeding the Malaya Almatinka River. 3 Moyka (Moyka-Karasu) 15.9 We have already noted that the study of chan- 4 Sultanka (Sultan-Karasu) 14.7 nel water balance of the Almaty rivers was con- 5 Aschibulak 8.55 ducted in 2006, 2007 and 2013 to identify and 6 Terenkara 8.55 clarify the abstraction losses and and ground- 7 Karasu (Karasu-Turksib) 12.3 water outcrop, as well as to identify how their 8 Unnamed Karasu 7.27 values ​​change over time.