Some Problems and Challenges about Water Resources Utilization in the Tarim River Basin

Being the largest continental river basin in China,the Tarim River Basin is a typical continental river basin in arid area,and its catchment area is 1.02×10~6 km~3.In the river basin there are 42 counties and cities of 5 prefectures and autonomous prefectures and 55 farms of Xinjiang Corps of Production and Construction.The population in 1998 was 8.25×10~6,and the river basin is one of the most important bases of oil,cotton and grain production in Xinjiang and even in whole China.However,there are some serious problems in redistribution of water resources,land desertification and soil salinization and alkalization.Ecological degeneration become more and more serious.In this paper,the water resources utilization and its variation in the Tarim River Basin are analyzed.The results show that the inflows from the headstreams of the Tarim River are in an increase trend since recent 40 years,especially since recent 10 years,which reveals that the regimen of the headstreams turns into a favorable trend.However, the annual recharge from the headstreams to the mainstream of the Tarim River increased by less than 1.0×10~8 m~3 only in recent 10 years.The annual runoff volumes at 4 hydrological stations along the mainstream are in a significant linear decrease trend,and the ecological degeneration in the mainstream area of the Tarim River is not improved yet although the headstreams are in a continuous high-water period in recent 10 years.Based on above results,the main problems and challenges of water resources utilization in the Tarim River Basin are analyzed,and some measures are put forward for achieving the sustainable utilization of water resources in the river basin.