FAN Zi-li, MA Ying-jie, JI Fang, WANG Rang-hui

(Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China)

Abstract: The relations between the history, present situation and future development of exploitation and utilization of water resources and the oasis evolution and ecological balance in Tarim River are as following: In the original stage, the ecology was in a natrual balance, and the oases were distributed at the lower reaches of the rivers; in the primary stage, the ecology was in a unbalanced state, and the oases were moved towards the piedmont plains; in the inefficient stage, the eco-environment is degenerated, and most of the new oases are distributed in the peripheries of the old oases; in the rational stage, the ecology will be recovered and improved,and the extension of the oases will be changed to tap the potentialities in the oases; and in the efficient stage, a virtuous circle of the ecology will be achieved, the area of the oases will be stabilized, and the productive forces will be obviously raised. At present, the utilization of water resources in Tarim Basin is only in an inefficient level, and the pace of constructing irrigation works must be quickened so as to achieve the rational and efficient utilization of water resources as early as possible, thus the ecoª²environment can be improved.

Keywords: Tarim River; utilization of water resources; distribution of oases; ecological balance