Abstract
The Selenge River Basin occupies a total area of 447,000 km2, of which 343,000 km2 is located within Mongolia (the remainder is in Russia). The basin is characterized by an extreme continental climate, consisting of harsh, cold, dry winters and short, hot summers. Annual average temperatures are approximately -4℃ and annual rainfall ranges from 220 mm to 450 mm.The Selenge River Basin is a critical groundwater resource for Mongolia. Greater than 55% (~1.5 million) of Mongolia’s population resides within the basin and, during 2003, an estimated average of 700,000 m3/day of water was abstracted from the basin’s groundwater system. The basin services Mongolia’s largest cities and industries (including the rapidly expanding mining sector) as well as important traditional pastoral ranges.
However, due to the great spatial extent and irregularity of groundwater resources in the basin, coupled with the equally heterogeneous concentration of evolving landuses, some local aquifers near major centres are likely being overexploited, hence it is important to manage each sub-catchment individually within a greater overall management plan. Sustainable yields need to be determined to ensure maintenance of current groundwater levels and environmental flows for rivers, as well as providing a sustainable resource for continued utilisation. These need to be incorporated into management strategies at the international, regional and local level to ensure ongoing conservation of the resource and fair access for all stakeholders.
