Desiccation of the Tarim River, Xinjiang, China, and mitigation strategy

Desiccation of the Tarim River is increasingly severe, as shown by the increases in length affected and time of desiccation. If the tendency is not constrained, the difficulty in water transfer to the lower reach of the Tarim River will be greatly increased, and the ecological security in the river basin and the downstream "Green Corridor" protection will be severely impacted. This paper analyses the desiccation tendency and hydrological regime of the Tarim River, discusses the causes of this condition, the point of zero flow movement, and the influence on the ecological security in the Tarim River basin that may be caused by the further development of desiccation. The relationship between soil and water resource management and hydrological regime change in the Tarim River basin and river desiccation is analyzed. The main causes of the river desiccation were the increase in irrigated area of the headstream section in the upstream region, the rise in water consumption in the upper and middle reaches, and the construction of reservoirs in the mountain areas. Accordingly, possible countermeasures and ideas for mitigating the desiccation tendency are suggested, so as to provide decision-making references for water resource management and sustainable and healthy social, ecological and economic development in the Tarim River basin. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.