Kyrgyzstan: River Monitoring System Needs to Be Updated

• На русском

Kyrgyzstan, where the largest transboundary rivers of Central Asia head from, has the inefficient monitoring system of river contamination. According to available data, water contamination level in some indicators is slightly above normal. However, the situation in neighbouring Kazakhstan is more alarming: the contamination level of rivers Chu and Kara-Balta heading from Kyrgyzstan is much higher.

All rivers in Kyrgyzstan cross borders

In Kyrgyzstan, all rivers but rivers of the inland Issyk-Kul basin are transboundary ones. The largest transboundary rivers in Central Asia head from the republic: Amudarya (35%), Syrdarya (nearly 80%), Chu (78%), Talas (90%), Tarim (partly) and Karkyra.

Source: National Water Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2040

According to the Water Resources Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, national water resources are utilised by 20-25 per cent, the rest go to Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

3 per cent of the total water intake fall is accounted for utility and drinking water supply, 93 per cent is utilised for irrigation of agricultural crops, and 4 per cent is used for production needs, mainly in Bishkek.

Kyrgyzhydromet: Water is clean in rivers 

Kyrgyzhydromet monitors the condition of surface waters on River Chu and its tributaries (23 stations) every month, on Chu-Talas River basin (8 stations) 3-4 times a year. Water is tested for 34 hydrochemical indicators. The water is tested for physical properties, gas content and principle ions, as well as organic substances, including contaminants, biogenic components and inorganic contamination agents.

River Chu is the largest water body of Chu valley, the chemical composition of its water is affected both by natural factors and by human-induced activity. The river is conditionally divided into three stretches based on hydrochemical peculiarities: upstream, middle reach and downstream.

According to Kyrgyzhydromet, as of 2023 the contaminant concentration in the upstream was within tolerance. Contaminations are mainly reported in the middle reach and downstream. The catchment area in the downstream has saline soils, which increases water mineralisation by heightening concentrations of sulphate ions, BOD5, inorganic phosphorus, ions of ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen.

“In 2018 to 2023, there was a gradual increase of water contamination index on River Chu and its tributaries. However, average indicators meet the quality class 2 – the water is clean.  Self-cleaning processes in River Chu and its tributaries play a significant role in improving the water quality,” Kyrgyzhydromet said.

The upstream water in River Kara-Balta is evaluated as clean. In the downstream, on the border with Kazakhstan, water mineralisation and hardness are elevated due to the natural condition of saline soils. The environmental condition of River Talas in Kyrgyzstan meets quality standards.

Ministry of Ecology of the Kyrgyz Republic: nitrogen and manganese exceed standards in the border with the Republic of Kazakhstan

Department of Environmental Monitoring of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision monitors the quality of water in rivers. Chemical studies revealed the excess of maximum allowable concentration of nitrite nitrogen and manganese in some rivers of Kyrgyzstan, with the critical excess of manganese in Rivers Kara-Unkur and Kara-Darya.

Source: Department of Environmental Monitoring of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision 

Kazakhstan: Transboundary rivers flow with toxic wastes

According to official relevant bodies of Kazakhstan, the situation with transboundary rivers is not quite beneficial. As Kazhydromet reported in the first six months of 2023, water in River Kara-Balta is unfit for all types of water utilisation due to high natural concentrations of some chemical substances. The satiation in the rest of monitored rivers, according to the Kazakh party, leaves much to be desired.

Source: Kazhydromet

Possible sources of contamination

According to Kazhydromet, in the spring season last year, the riverbeds of Shu (Chu) and Kara-Balta were most contaminated with chemical elements. The sources of contamination are possibly the waste of ore processing at Ak-Tyuz field deposit and radioactive waste storage of Kara-Balta Mining Complex in Kyrgyzstan, according to Kazakhstan specialists.

Figure 4 – Results of radiochemical analysis of soluble ingredients (WD) of water samples taken from the basins of transboundary rivers of Kazakhstan in spring 2023 (33^rd expedition)

“Figure 4 shows the concentration values of uranium isotopes U-238 and U-234 in the waters of all monitored transboundary rivers of Kazakhstan in the spring 2023. We can see that the highest concentrations of these radionuclides account for the rivers of South and Southeast Kazakhstan: Syrdarya, Talas, Emel, Irtysh (IR), Shu, and especially Karabalta. Given the significant amount of radioactive waste produced by specialised plants (Kara-Balta, Ak-Tyuz, Vostokredmet, and others) located in the basins of the rivers, there is the need for regular monitoring of radionuclide and ultimate composition of their waters,” according to the report.

According to Kyrgyzhydromet, the chemical composition of river water is formed affected by both natural factors and man-made activity.

“Analysis of water quality dynamics in water bodies of Chui region showed that national economy sectors, economic and other entities had the most negative impact on the hydrochemical regime of water bodies. They include towns and residential places, farm lands, hydraulic structures, artificial reservoirs and channels, surface traffic arteries, unequipped storages of domestic and industrial waste,” according to Kyrgyzhydromet.

Why data differ

According to Kyrgyzhydromet, the criteria of assessment of water quality in Kyrgyzstan differ from the classification system of Kazakhstan. These systems may not be compared as they use different approaches and methods of water quality assessment.

According to Kyrgyzhydromet specialists, in addition to different methods, there are natural factors that affect the quality of water. For example, the soil in the downstream of River Kara-Balta is very salty, which increases mineralisation and hardness of water. It also leads to the increased content of sulphates and magnesium in the water.

Old facilities, not enough laboratories 

According to the National Water Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2040, the monitoring system of Kyrgyzhydromet had 148 gauging stations on rivers and 7 stations on lakes and reservoirs until 1992. Now, there are 78 gauging stations on rivers, 5 lake stations, 4 stations on Lake Issyk-Kul and 1 station on Kirovskoye reservoir. Among these 78 stations on rivers, 8 (10%) need complete repair, 20 (26%) are in critical condition, and about 30% of premises are in need of major overhaul.

“Kyrgyzhydromet monitors the quality of surface waters on River Chu only. The laboratory facility does not meet current requirement for accreditation. There are only two environmental laboratories in Bishkek and Cholpon-Ata, which emphasised the need to create facilities in the south of the country. Departmental laboratories need technical re-equipment and update of the equipment,” according to the national strategy.

Kyrgyzhydromet reminded that the laboratory renewal is a slow and labour-intensive process. The laboratory is being reequipped in phases.

“The laboratory has been significantly improved in recent years. Under the World Bank’s project, we purchased a mobile hydrochemical laboratory that improved the accuracy of analyses and increased the quantity of measured water values from 27 to 34. Also, under the Finnish-Kyrgyz project, the laboratory received technical support for a more accurate assessment of quality of surface waters in the country,” Kyrgyzhydromet said.

Waste treatment facilities fail to perform full-scale biological treatment

Waste treatment facilities and waste waters play a significant role in river monitoring situation. Kyrgyzstan has 145 waste treatment facilities, including 22 municipal ones. Because of the underfunding and insufficient equipment, many of them carry out mechanical treatment only and fail to perform full-scale biological treatment.

Waste water is discharged into the environment after being treated by waste treatment facilities. According to MoveGreen, out of 145 waste treatment facilities, 14 discharge water to surface water bodies, 5 – to dry gulches of rivers and streams, 2 – to the terrain relief, 114 – to irrigation and collector and drainage system, 10 – to filter and evaporation fields.

Another problem is that only 42 per cent of the country’s population have consistent access to the sewer system. There are no utility sewer systems in rural areas, and waste waters are discharged into the environment without proper treatment.

“Chui and Osh regions that surround Bishkek and Osh, respectively, are the exception. However, the situation here is complicated because internal migration has led to high concentration of population in Bishkek. As a result, circles of new residential areas not equipped with sewer systems appeared around the capital. Domestic waste waters from residential developments accumulate and are discharged without control to collector and drainage network, on the terrain relief, and into water bodies, which leads to contamination of both underground and surface waters,” according to MoveGreen environmental non-governmental organisation.

According to the National Statistical Committee, over 132 million cubic metres of waste waters are discharged every year into water sources in Kyrgyzstan. Among them, 1.7 million cubic metres or 1.3 per cent are contaminated waste waters (untreated or treated insufficiently).

“Moreover, the discharge of untreated or insufficiently treated waste waters into water sources in the territory is not an indicator because not all facilities that are in charge of wastewater treatment facilities provide information to the National Statistical Committee. Besides, wastewater discharges from decentralised water disposal systems in rural areas are left out of account,” according to MoveGreen.

River Chu is most contaminated by saline return waters

After irrigation, the water that was not absorbed runs off the fields and gets into special channels and drainage systems. Such waters called collector and drainage waters contain high concentrations of sulphates, chlorides and ions of sodium. They get into rivers via drainage systems, which leads to the contamination of reservoirs.

According to MoveGreen, the collector and drainage water discharge is 875.8 thousand cubic metres in Chui region, which equals 73 per cent of total volume in the republic. Return waters from fields saturated with salts have a significant impact on the chemical composition of River Chu and all its tributaries.

The collector and drainage waters contain pesticides and nitrogen and phosphates compounds.  Up to 25 per cent of nitrogen and 5 per cent of phosphates of the discharged amount get into collectors from irrigation fields, which greatly exceeds the input of salts into water bodies, according to the environmental organisation.

All tailings ponds will be reclaimed by 2030

According to the National Security Concept of the Kyrgyz Republic, the country has 92 facilities, which contain 250 million cubic metres of radionuclides and other toxic substances.

They pose a high risk of radiation hazardous transboundary ecological disasters, which will cover Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with over 7 million people living there.

According to Asel Seitkazieva, deputy director of the Department for Tailings Ponds Management, all tailings ponds will be reclaimed by 2030. She means 60 facilities owned by the ministry of emergency situations, and the remaining 32 are located in the territory of operating enterprises.

“The reclamation of the tailings pond in the village of Kadzhi-Sai of Issyk-Kul region was completed, and this year the reclamation in the village of Min-Kush of Naryn region will be completed. It was done under the interstate programme. To implement it, Russia allocated 70 per cent of funds, Kazakhstan 15 per cent, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan 5 per cent each,” she said.

According to Seitkazieva, five tailings ponds are going to be reclaimed in Osh, Dzhalal-Abad and Batken regions out of grant funds provided by the Russian Federation.

“As part of reclamation works, we reinforce tailings dams and relocate tailings ponds located directly on river banks, transboundary rivers. For example, the tailings ponds of Min-Kush and Shakaftar were relocated far beyond residential areas, and we are planning to do the same in Mailuu-Suu. It will eliminate completely the risks of environmental and water pollution and ensure the safety and public health,” she said.

Will the reclamation of all tailings ponds ensure full environmental safety of Kyrgyzstan and the region? “No,” Seitzakieva said. “No one can give a 100 per cent guarantee. It is important to keep in mind that Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country with climatic risks. However, the Department for Tailings Ponds Management carries out regular monitoring and control, which helps identify and eliminate on time all possible problems and maintain safety of the reclaimed areas.

Integrated measures are needed

According to experts, monitoring and control of water bodies condition should be strengthened first of all. To that end, the existing infrastructure of the gauging stations needs to be modernised, the station points should be increased and equipped with advanced equipment. New analysis methods in compliance with international standards should be introduced, too.

The second step is the improvement of waste treatment facilities and sewer systems. Moreover, there is the need for active environmental policy and cooperation at the international level. Transboundary cooperation and joint efforts will help maintain the cleanliness and safety of rivers for future generations.

Water protection zones should also be protected. According to ecologist Sergei Krivoruchko, compliance with the land utilisation regime in water protection zones is not the matter of ecology. Now it is a matter of emergency situations.

According to the existing law, the exclusion zone or water protection zone is defined by local missions. However, this approach is not always reasonable as there is often a lack of specialists at the local level.

“For instance, we can see at Issyk-Kul, Aksu and other rivers that there are yurts installed on river banks, the flora disappears from river banks, and bushes and trees that protect the reservoir get cut down. People set up temporary camping places, cafes and toilets, which is against the law. As a result, such actions increase the risk of contamination of water resources and deteriorate their quality,” the ecologist said.