Researchers Propose Flow Standards to Protect the Transboundary Irtysh River
The Irtysh River connects China, Kazakhstan, and Russia, providing water for industrial, hydroelectric, and agricultural sectors across all three nations. Intensive utilization, including the construction of dams and diversion canals, has significantly altered the river’s natural hydrological regime. Increased resource consumption has resulted in the degradation of floodplain territories and a reduction in the water body’s self–purification capacity. While a 2010 agreement between Moscow and Astana governs the protection of transboundary waters, it lacks specific flow distribution volumes necessary to prevent environmental depletion.
Specialists from the Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Research Institute for Integrated Water Management and Protection, and the Federal Agency for Water Resources have proposed a mechanism to preserve the river’s biodiversity based on the concept of environmental flow. This term refers to the protected volume of water required within the riverbed to ensure the survival of flora and fauna. The objective is to establish a functional balance between economic demands and ecological preservation rather than returning the river to a pristine state. Researchers calculated permissible water withdrawal parameters for the border section near the Russian village of Tatarka, located downstream from Kazakh reservoirs.
Data analysis indicates that long–term regulation of the Irtysh by a cascade of hydroelectric power plants has smoothed seasonal water fluctuations. Flow volumes have decreased during the spring–summer period while increasing during the winter. Consequently, meadows in the Pavlodar Region of Kazakhstan are inundated less frequently, impacting the ecosystem and rare fish species, including the Siberian sturgeon and nelma. To maintain these habitats, researchers recommend sustaining annual water volumes at a level of at least 80 percent of conditionally natural values.
The study places particular emphasis on the month of May during the spring flood season. To ensure the water successfully reaches the floodplain, the May flow must exceed four cubic kilometers. These calculations are based on historical hydrological observations of critical conditions that previously led to the desiccation of riparian areas. Implementation of these recommended indicators is intended to prevent irreversible environmental changes, even during drought years.
The developed parameters provide a foundation for future interstate agreements regarding the shared use of the Irtysh River. The synchronization of regulatory frameworks between neighboring states offers a pathway toward science–based resource management and the protection of the transboundary river from overexploitation.