Reducing the Vulnerability of Societies to Water Related Risks at the Basin Scale (Proceedings of the third International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management, Bochum, Germany, September 2006). IAHS Publ. 317, 2007, 191–196.

Water distribution and resource management in the Shule River Basin

ANNETTE OELERT & DAN ROSBJERG

Institute of Environment & Resources, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

dr@er.dtu.dk

Abstract The water cycle in arid areas of northwestern China is dominated by scarce precipitation, high potential evaporation, and a complex interaction of surface and groundwater. A sustainable water management is important to ensure a continued water supply for the increasing population and expanding agriculture. Inland rivers, representing the largest water resource in the region, are the main irrigation water source. The local characteristics of the water cycle, including climatic trends, are investigated spatially and temporally in a river basin, where the topography leads to strong climatic differences. Different possibilities for using the river as a source for water supply have been analysed, based on a simplified computer model. The average annual river discharge is found to be sufficient to cover the agricultural water demand; however, the analysis also shows that a sustainable management of the resource is highly needed.

Key words arid hydrology; climatic trend; inland rivers hydrology; sustainable water resources management; water cycle modelling