HU Ru-ji1, MA Hong1, FAN Zi-li1, YANG Qing2, WU Su-fen3, HUANG Yu-ying3
(1.Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geograpthy, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China;
2.Xinjiang Meteorological Service Centre, Urumqi 830022, China;
3.Xinjiang Bureau of Hydrology and Water Resources, Urumqi 830001, China)
Abstract: Consisted of the oasesŁ¬deserts, basins, plains and surrounding mountains, the vast territorial system of Xinjiang is an important component in arid areas of Northwest China. Because the geomorphological features having high mountains are in alternation with basins, the unique water cycle systems and the interior drainage basins, big or small, without hydraulic connections are thus formed. In the water circulating process, the mountains, basins, plains, oases and deserts are connected due to the formation and conversion of the water resources through the streams. The streams from the mountains to the deserts, basins and plains are the main sources of the water resources in Xinjiang because the runoff formation does not occur in the desert, basin and plain systems. Water resources serve not only as the control factors of the ecology and environment, but also as the material base for socio-economic development. Since the late 1980s, precipitation in Xinjiang has increased by 20%—30%, stream runoff has universally increased, water level of the lakes has obviously raised, surface area of the lakes has continuously enlarged, and the groundwater level has raised step by step. The synthetic analyses on the main changes of water resources, slight increase in temperature, obvious increase in precipitation, etc., show that the regional climate and hydrology are changing towards the favorable aspect to the socio-economic development in Xinjiang in the context of global climate change. It is predicted that this trend will continue untill the first 20 years of the 21st century.
Keywords: Xinjiang; water resources; climate trend
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