11
countries located within it. The basin of the largest river in the Amu Darya region
belongs to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
Syr Darya flows through the territories of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and
Kazakhstan. The main tributaries of the Chinese Tarim River flow from the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Irtysh and Ili, the flow of which has a great
economic and environmental importance for Kazakhstan and Russia, originate
in China.
Dozens of small- and medium-sized rivers flowing into the Fergana part of
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are formed on the slopes of the Kyrgyz mountains – the
Fergana, Turkestan, and Alai ranges. The differences in the interests of water management among the countries of the upper river basins and their lower reaches
largely determine the difficulties in the development and implementation of a single
optimized water policy in the region.
The relief of Central Asia is high in the east but low in the west, which is mostly
dominated by plains and hills (Zhang et al. 2018). The central part of the region is
occupied by the Turan Lowland, whose height does not exceed 100–200 m above
sea level. The Kazakh Lowland is located in the north, and its height rarely exceeds
300–400 m and reaches 1000 m in only some places.
The Ustyurt Plateau extends between the Caspian and Aral seas and ends in all
directions with a steep ledge called Chink. From the south and east, the Turan
Fig. 2.2 Precipitation in Central Asia. (Source: WorldClim data (Hijmans et al. 2005))
2.1 Topography and Climatic Conditions in Central Asia
countries located within it. The basin of the largest river in the Amu Darya region
belongs to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
Syr Darya flows through the territories of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and
Kazakhstan. The main tributaries of the Chinese Tarim River flow from the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Irtysh and Ili, the flow of which has a great
economic and environmental importance for Kazakhstan and Russia, originate
in China.
Dozens of small- and medium-sized rivers flowing into the Fergana part of
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are formed on the slopes of the Kyrgyz mountains – the
Fergana, Turkestan, and Alai ranges. The differences in the interests of water management among the countries of the upper river basins and their lower reaches
largely determine the difficulties in the development and implementation of a single
optimized water policy in the region.
The relief of Central Asia is high in the east but low in the west, which is mostly
dominated by plains and hills (Zhang et al. 2018). The central part of the region is
occupied by the Turan Lowland, whose height does not exceed 100–200 m above
sea level. The Kazakh Lowland is located in the north, and its height rarely exceeds
300–400 m and reaches 1000 m in only some places.
The Ustyurt Plateau extends between the Caspian and Aral seas and ends in all
directions with a steep ledge called Chink. From the south and east, the Turan
Fig. 2.2 Precipitation in Central Asia. (Source: WorldClim data (Hijmans et al. 2005))
2.1 Topography and Climatic Conditions in Central Asia