Tuul River Basin, Mongolia
Ms.S.Baasansuren, Lecturer
Mongolian University of Sciences and Technology
Ms.J.Otgonbayar, Officer
Water Authority, Mongolia
Mongolia has 3 hydrological drainage basins.
Tuul River Basin-TRB belongs to Arctic Ocean Basin.
TRB occupies 3.19 % of the total
area of Mongolia.
Tuul River Basin has 9 sub-basins.
Catchment area: 49,840 km2
GEOGRAPHICAL PROPERTIES
Tuul river
Width →35-75 m Depth → 0.8-3.5 m
Topography
The basin covers mountain, forest and steppe area
within Khan Khentii and Bogd Uul strictly protected
areas, Gorkhi-Terelj Natural Park and Khustai Nuruu
Natural Reserve. Altitude ranges 1200-2700 m.
Geology
It consists of Cenozoic sand, gravel and clay; Mesozoic
granites, sandstones and siltstones and Palaeozoic
shales and conglomerates. The alluvial unconfined
aquifer thickness of Tuul river valley is 25-30 m or
more.
Rainfall
River length and annual
flow
Average annual rainfall 232 mm
Length of Tuul river is 704 km
Annual mean flow 26.6 m3/sec
Tuul river recharge: GW (26%), melted snow
(5%) and rain (69%).
DEMOGRAPHIC PROPERTIES
Situation
Total population in
the basin
Tuul river basin includes 7 districts of Ulaanbaatar
city, 19 small administrative units of Tuv, Bulgan,
Selenge provinces.
1 067 472
Basin covers the highest populated part of Mongolia.
Population main city The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar -1 046 921
Water Poverty Index parameters:
Water scarcity index 0.025
Safe drinking water accessibility 0.379 Vulnerability index for TRB 0 .441*
Water pollution 0.420
Ecosystem deterioration 0.829
* UNEP report “Freshwater under threat Northeast Asia”
Land use classification of TRB
WATER RESOURCES IN TUUL RIVER BASIN
Total surface & groundwater resources:
1.28 bln m3/year
Total surface water abstractions, estimated: 425.4 mln m3/year
Total groundwater abstractions, estimated:
818.0 mln m3/year
Sector
Total water use of Mongolia
Water use of TBR
Drinking water supply
Livestock
Agriculture
Manufacturing
Power plant
Mining
Tourism
53
93
91
37
33
65
0.8
27
5
2
25
27
32
0.8
Total water uses
372.8 mln m3/year
118.8 mln m3/year
Hydrological stations observing the Tuul river
regime and quality.
Comparison of Tuul river water quality in Ulaanbaatar city
downstream ← upstream
downstream ← upstream
Contaminated by the effluents from city sewage plant and industries
Downstream of the Tuul river polluted by silt & mud
from mining activities in Zaamar, Tuv province.
Surface water pollution leads to lowering of groundwater level.
Observation done within the “Sustainable groundwater
management in Mongolia” project.
CONCLUSION:
-Increasing urbanization, deforestation, overgrazing
pasture, waste water mismanagement, mineral resources
exploitation destructing the Tuul river ecosystem.
- Surface water pollution threatens safety of
drinking water resources.
Setting up “Tuul River Basin Board” is underway.
Work out”Integrated Water Management Plan of Tuul
Tiver Basin” is vital.