Mongolia Faces Worsening Water Shortages: Official
Mongolia will face worsening water shortages due to decreased rainfall and rising temperatures, an official warned Tuesday.
D. Dorjsuren, secretary general of the National Water Committee, said at a seminar that Mongolia's average annual temperature has risen 1.9 degrees Celsius during the past 60 years while annual rainfall has fallen by about 10 percent.
A water census conducted in 2007 showed that Mongolia's number of rivers dropped from 5,565 in 2003 to 5,121 in 2007, streams from 9,600 to 9,340, and lakes from 4,193 to 3,732.
Dorjsuren also underlined the imbalance of water resources distribution in the country. The official said that about 70 percent of Mongolia's surface water resources are concentrated in the Altai, Khangai and Khentii mountain ranges as well as in the Khuvsgul and Great Khyangan mountains.
In the meantime, water shortages are severe in the south Gobi desert due to scarce precipitation and increased demand brought on by the region's booming mining industry.
In order to protect Mongolia's water resources, the parliament passed a national water program in 2010 in an effort to contain the worsening situation.
D. Dorjsuren, secretary general of the National Water Committee, said at a seminar that Mongolia's average annual temperature has risen 1.9 degrees Celsius during the past 60 years while annual rainfall has fallen by about 10 percent.
A water census conducted in 2007 showed that Mongolia's number of rivers dropped from 5,565 in 2003 to 5,121 in 2007, streams from 9,600 to 9,340, and lakes from 4,193 to 3,732.
Dorjsuren also underlined the imbalance of water resources distribution in the country. The official said that about 70 percent of Mongolia's surface water resources are concentrated in the Altai, Khangai and Khentii mountain ranges as well as in the Khuvsgul and Great Khyangan mountains.
In the meantime, water shortages are severe in the south Gobi desert due to scarce precipitation and increased demand brought on by the region's booming mining industry.
In order to protect Mongolia's water resources, the parliament passed a national water program in 2010 in an effort to contain the worsening situation.
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