N.Batsukh*, N.Buyankhishig*, D.Ouyn*, Ya.Boldbaatar**

*- Mongolian University of Science and Technology, School of Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Hydrogeology and Geoecology

**- Water Authority of Mongolia

N.Batsukh

e-mail: nbatskh@must.edu.mn

Tel.: +976 -11-315650

 

Abstract:Mongolia belongs to not rich country in terms of water resources. Total water resource of Mongolia is estimated to be 609.5 cubic km⁵. However, only 34 cubic km of it is renewable. Groundwater resources continue to be a major source of water, especially during winter when many surface water resources are frozen. Due to natural and anthropogenic factors the water resource has been degraded at rapid speed. A water resource in the Gobi is per person 10 times less than world. In mountainous area (Khentii, Selenge, Khubsgul, Bulgan) it is 4-5 times higher. 20% of Mongolian water consumption is originated from surface water sources and 80% is originated from groundwater sources. 30.8 % of population is supplied pressured piplines, 60.4% is by way of water – containers supply to Ger Area peoples at water vending centers (kiosk), other 9.1% is from surface water such as ice and snow water. 46000 different types of wells were drilled for livestock during 1935-1990 but after social-economic reform in 1990 the some of the wells are destroyed. 220 million m³ of water is utilized for industries; mostly mining utilization is increased in last years. 40% of used water is purified and remained is flowed into surface bodies. Above mentioned data shows that sustainable development of Mongolia depends on appropriate utilization of water resources. Water Law, which was adopted in 1995, was amended in 2004 to integrate river basin management practices with the goal of better utilizing water resources while protecting ecosystems. In 2000, the National Water Committee (NWC) was established with the purpose of coordinating and monitoring the National Water Programme’s implementation. The Water Law also recognizes the economic value of water, requires capacity-building in the water sector, focuses on the decentralization of water management, puts forward the need for environmental impact assessments and sets new penalties for violating water legislation. Water-related policies and programmes developed at the national level often do not reach the local level. Policy implementation and monitoring mechanisms are also strained. At the institutional level, financial and human resource capacity is limited. To renew supply wells; develop economy technology; modify facilities and technology in waste water treatment; create groundwater quality monitoring; to reduce water consumption in industries; determinate and implement national policy on proper use; protection and restoration of water resources; undertake ecological and economic assessment of water resources and develop economic incentives to ensure protection and proper use and water resources; develop water use limits and quality standards; establish a water database and keep water records on water use, prevent water disasters and provide management for activities on mitigating damage of water disasters are necessary to implant in frame policy of sustainable development.

Key words: water supply, anthropogenic factors, waste water treatment, restoration, quality standards, monitoring

 

Introduction

Water is special natural resource because it is a source of all world life and main factor of social sustainable development. Estimation of groundwater resource of Mongolia with huge territory is not simple problem and depends on many factors.

In 1971-1975, water exploration, project and research institute “General device to protect and utilize water resources of Mongolia” and first time

 

water resource of Mongolia is preliminary estimated by theoretic calculation. Dynamic amount o water resource is equal to sum of surface and groundwater flow. Renewal water resource in Mongolian territory is 40.4 cubic kilometer per year. If minus water resource which inflow through country boundary is 38.8 cubic kilometer per year.

70% of territory of Mongolia belongs to dry area with surface flow lost; remained 30% is humid with no surface flow lost. 30.2 km³/year (78%) water is distributed in area with surface flow lost and 8.6 km³/year (22%) is in area that accumulates surface flow. Groundwater resource is 12.1 km³/year.

General conditions of country

The territory of Mongolia occupies 1.56 million km² in central Asia at an average elevation of 1,600 m above sea level, the highest point reaching an altitude of 4,653 m, and the lowest being 553 m above sea level.

Mongolia is located in the middle of the mountains, taiga, steppe and desert in Central Asia. Climate of Mongolia is characterized by continental severe climate and has four seasons; yearly temperature fluctuation is high and less precipitation. Sixty-five percent of annual precipitation falls in summer; very little snow falls in the winter; spring is extremely dry and windy.Yearly average temperature is 8^oC in gobi and -7.8 ^oC in the Mongol Altai, Khangai, and Khentii mountains. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 200 to 220mm, and is 38.4mm in gobi.

Water recources

Mongolia has limited freshwater resources. Water resource of Mongolia is originated in “uncomfortable” condition. Country is located in center of Asia far from ocean with continental severe dry climate. These are influenced water resource of Mongolia and distribution is. The total water resource of the country - 38.8 cubic kilometers and potential water resources is 34.6 cubic kilometers, surface water resources are 22.0 cubic kilometers and the ground water resources are 6.8 cubic kilometers.

Territory of Mongolia is high elevated (average elevation is 1580m a.s.l) in the northern part of Central Asia and surface elevation varies from place to place. About two thirds of the territory is mountainous area and natural condition is most variable depending on surface elevation (Tsegmid 1969). Natural zones are different except land surface, climate, rivers, soil, flora, groundwater The territory of Mongolia divided into three large watersheds (Table.1) in the central and eastern Asia, namely: Northern Arctic Ocean Basin (51 percent of the precipitation and 20.5 per cent of the territory); Pacific Ocean Basin (37 percent of the precipitation and 67 per cent of the territory); Central Asian Internal Drainage Basin (12 percent of the precipitation and 12.5 per cent of the territory).

 

 

Determination of basins

Table.1

Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean Basins are located in mountainous area and with well developed river hydrograph, with high groundwater recourse. Central Asian Internal Basin is characterized by few rivers, temporary flow in intermountain basin, high evaporation and inflow to unconsolidated deposits. Natural groundwater resource in this basin is limited.

Territory of Mongolia is classified (Tserenjav G, 1981) into four zones by groundwater recharge rate based on surface morphology that is played significant role in producing of groundwater resource (Table 2).

A -mountainous area with high recharge in short time

B - mountainous area with medium recharge in short time

C- lowland, hilly steppe region with insufficient recharge

D- Gobi steppe hilly region with scarce recharge

Determination of zone by groundwater

recharge rate (Tserenjav G, 1981)Table. 2

The northern part of Mongolia is the southern part of north hemisphere, permafrost with “high” temperature is discontinuously distributed and played important role in originating natural water resource. Natural water resource of Mongolia is expressed by numeric value: lake 500 cubic kilometers (82.03%), river water 34.6 cubic kilometers (5.7%), glaciers 62.9 cubic kilometers (10.3%), groundwater 12 cubic kilometers (1.96%), others 609,5 cubic kilometers (100%).

Water resource distribution of Mongolia throughout the region is most variable depending on geological and topographical conditions. 82.03% of total water resource is lake water consists of 2500 lakes. Water of Khuvsgul fresh lake, which is located in the northern part of country, is 380 cubic kilometers. 68% of 3800 rivers with length 67000 km are discharged to Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean basins. Natural groundwater resource also discharges to these basins and groundwater flow module ranges from 2.0 to 0.1l/s km². These are show that the northern part of Mongolia which is called mountainous area is rich by water resource. Gobi and steppe region, 69% of total territory of country, does not have surface water, groundwater recharge is scarce and water quality is not good for water supply.

Water resource is discontinuously distributed throughout the country that caused big problem in social-economic development. To provide sustainable development of country is required implementation of detailed water resource investigation and optimal exploitation management. Discontinuously distributed water resource and changeable surface water regime are. Nowadays, 20% of water consumption is originated from surface water sources and 80% is originated from groundwater of yearly water supply. Mongolia is paid attention to groundwater resource survey. History of groundwater investigation in Mongolia is briefly described in table 3.

Brief description of hydrogeological investigation in Mongolia

(Batsukh N, 2005)

Table 3

Groundwater exploration was carried out in 1970-1990 and calculated exploitation evaluation (Fig.1).

Groundwater types that carried out hydrogeological exploration are (Batsukh N, 2000):

Groundwater in recent river basin

Groundwater in alluvial fan

Groundwater in ancient river basin

Fissure groundwater and groundwater in fault zone

Groundwater in small artesian basins of geosynclinal zone

Surface water measurements were done during Bogd khan. River water regime and resource investigation systemically were carried out since 1930. Now surface water monitoring net composed of 126 gauging stations is working. A book “Surface water of Mongolia” is published in 1999.

90.9 of population of Mongolia is use groundwater and 9.1 from surface water for their water supply. 30.8 % of population of Mongolia is supplied by water from centralized water supply system, while 24.6% supplied from water vendors, 35.5% from water supply by kiosk and 9.1% from surface water and melting water (ice and snow water).

29000 engineer-designed wells and 17000 simple dug wells were constructed in order to reach objectives on pasture land and running irrigated crop farming during 1930-1990. 64.5% of total pasture land is supplied. The main source of pasture land supply was groundwater resource. Along with the reduction on numbers of water points on the pasture land use is experienced a change, and many wells are destroyed and rural water supply was getting worst.

Due to climate change permanently is occurred droughts, decreased groundwater table, and dried up many springs and simple dug wells. Water registration in 2002 is shown that 1984 springs, 683 rivers and 760 lakes were dried up. Surface water was sparsely.

Agriculture without irrigation had a risk to develop arid area such a Mongolia. 1990s, there constructed irrigation system with 50 thousand hectare area and 40 thousand hectare of crop area had been irrigated.

5.2% of total agricultural area was irrigated land during 1990s but in 1998 the irrigated land decreased until 0.6%. This shows that sustainable agricultural development was getting worst. Industrialization had been activated since end of 1960s and mostly mining industries used a big amount of water with increased waste water of the industries.

The discharge of untreated or inadequately treated waste water into the environment is the basic type of pollution, deteriorating water quality. As the end of 1999, the nation’s sewage treatment facilities were able to handle 39.8 % of all daily sewage generated nationwide. However as only 64.2 % of the country is served by sewage pipes and as treatment facilities are still using old equipment, much sewage discharged directly into rivers or nature. 40% of waste water is treated by mechanic and biological methods and remained sewage discharged directly into river or nature.

There are 120 wastewater treatment plants throughout Mongolia, 35 of themwere normal operating condition and 30 were out of operation and remaing were operating partially. As a result of intensive of urban population with related discharge flows and inadequate treatment plants, the basins of large rivers like Tuul, Yeruu, Orkhon and Khangal, along which have high concentrations of both population and industry pollutions. According to statistics, the total discharge of waste water was 126,4 million cubic meters, of which 42 per cent comes from sewage, 46 per cent from industry, and 12 per cent from rural areas. 65.6 per cent of total wastewater treated and about 43 million cubic meter wastewater discharged into the environment without any treatment, mostly into the surface water sources. Only 32.4 percent of water sources have protective sanitation zones. 70 cities were subject to potential industrial pollution, and at least 47 of these had no realistic prospect of relief from pollution.

The systematic investigation of the quality of national surface waters was begun in 1946 by the National Hydrometeorological Board in Ulaanbaatar (recently Agency for Hydrometeorology and Environment Monitoring) and intended to provide basic data on water quality in Mongolia.

At present, surface water quality monitoring is carried out in laboratories by taking samples. The monitoring network consists of approximately 110 stations, located through the national territory. The main objectives of the monitoring are to gather information about the present state of the rivers or lakes and to control the quality of the surface waters. Particular attention has been paid on the parameters, which to be analyzed and the sampling frequency.

In most of the Gobi region and eastern steppes, groundwater has an extremely high mineral content (fluoride, calcium and magnesium) that negatively impacts the health of the people in these regions. In the urban areas pollution from industrial sources as well as human waste are growing-especially as increasing numbers of are moving to large urban centers.

Wells located in territory of Dornod, Dornogobi, Umnugobi, Sukhbaatar, Gobi-Altai aimags have highly mineralized and saline water (0.7-1.2mg/l). Water quality of some wells used for water supply in Gobi and steppe areas is not allowed for human us; 99 sums of the country is using water with exceeded content of Mg, 47 sums using with exceeded TDS (total dissolved solids), 27 sums using saline water.

Water disaster is increased related to urbanization and reasonable climate change. Dam protected from flood was constructed in the Tuul River and its tributaries. Flood investigation and protection dams were partially constructed in Ulgii, Choibalsan, Altai, Murun, Ulaangom, Hovd, Erdenet cities, in resorts and rural settlements such as Bagakhangai, Khalkh gol. Groundwater table is rising in some constructed area of Ulaanbaatar and Choir, process of buildings are in flood is activated. With increasing of depth of mine, dewatering process met with complex problem. Nalaikh coal mine is in flood. These area shows that natural water resources and sustainable development of country is interrelated issue. The Government pays attention for water resource investigation and its exploitation, and is implementing new policies about water resources from 2004-2005. In order to enhance management of water resources, with the approval of the Mongolian Government, the Ministry of Nature and Environment established Water Authority Agency. New trend such as utilization of integrated water resource basin management policy is developed.

The Government policy on ecologically sustainable social and economic conditions is to be implemented through legislative documents, long-term programs, planning of activities, coordination and projects.

Law on Water. The purpose of the law is to regulate the protection, proper use and restoration of water resources. The Law includes general provisions concerning research, monitoring, databanks, water use, and the plenary rights of various institutions involved in water-resource management. There are statements given rights on taking watercourses with ecological importance under local protection, establishment of protected zones for the water sources and sanitary zones for drinking water sources for centralized water supply.

In 2000, the National Water Committee (NWC) was established with the purpose of coordinating and monitoring the National Water Programme’s implementation. The Water Law also recognizes the economic value of water, requires capacity-building in the water sector, focuses on the decentralization of water management, puts forward the need for environmental impact assessments and sets new penalties for violating water legislation. According to the Water law adopted in 1995, administrative authorities of all levels, from Parliament itself down to the local level, are given responsibilities and obligations in respect of water management, which they must exercise and carry out.

The National Water Policy Program 1999 reflects overall related issues on water management activities including water resource, water quality, water uses and protection from deterioration and pollution of the water resources. The Program defined main and priority objectives as implementation of multi-stage activities on preventing from negative impacts on health of population by improving of water supply and quality, creation a economic and legislative environment aimed at improvement of the level of proper use of water resources and wastewater treatment activities.

To renew supply wells; develop economy technology; modify facilities and technology in waste water treatment; create groundwater quality monitoring; to reduce water consumption in industries; determinate and implement national policy on proper use; protection and restoration of water resources; undertake ecological and economic assessment of water resources and develop economic incentives to ensure protection and proper use and water resources; develop water use limits and quality standards; establish a water database and keep water records on water use, prevent water disasters and provide management for activities on mitigating damage of water disasters are necessary to implant in frame policy of sustainable development.

Conclusions

Water scarcity, the gap between human demand for and the availability of water in the required quantity and qualities, is the fundamental issue of the water supply in Mongolia.

Many users and communities are dependent on groundwater, the flow and availability of which are inherently more stable than of surface water.

At the present time water pollution is serious problem in Mongolia, especially in urban areas. Over half of the population of Mongolia at an immediate risk from urban air and water pollution and actions for reducing water pollution must include following issues: improving sewage and waste removal, improving and expanding wastewater treatment facilities including mitigation measures of most polluted rivers, and improving water quality monitoring.

The quality of water is concerning issue. Every group of users requires water of different quality, and total demand is increasing. There is very important to separate users by group: high quality drinking water must not use for industry and agriculture needs or for this reason there was not unnecessary treatment of water for purposes which do not require it.

Water quality degradation is an increasingly important issue. Water quality in Central and Northern part of Mongolia is heavily degraded, because of high population density, urbanization, comparatively high industrialization, and the general lack of pollution control facilities.

Sustainable development of Mongolia depends on appropriate utilization of water resources