2.2 Chinese Economic Plans

Water problems in Central Asia are not new, though few have considered them in the

context of China’s development plans in Xinjiang—which have reportedly exacerbated water security challenges for Kazakhstan. This past August, the former ambassador of Kazakhstan to China, Murat Auezov, issued a statement alleging that Jiang Zemin had issued a secret order during his leadership term (1993–2003) to use trans-border rivers to China’s benefit and raised concern about the slow pace of talks on the joint use of the Irtysh and Ili rivers. After years of talks seemingly delayed by Beijing, Astana can only hope that the deal will be completed.

The Irtysh and Ili originate in China’s Altay and Tian-Shan mountains, covering about 4.3 kilometers and 1.4 kilometers, respectively. The Ili River flows into eastern Kazakhstan’s Lake Balkhash, while the Irtysh River passes through Kazakhstan and flows into the Ob River in Russia where it contributes to 90 percent of water consumption of Russia’s Omsk oblast. China, in fact, is home to the largest number of trans-border river overflows in the world, making it a near “hydro hegemony” regionally (17). However, China’s water and development challenges and active attempts to address them have made Beijing blind to the side effects of these very policies at home and abroad. China has only 5 percent of the world’s renewable freshwater but has to support 20 percent of the world’s population. Furthermore, 75 percent of China’s water is unfit for human consumption, while 90 percent of its ground water is polluted. More than 400 Chinese cities faced water shortages in 2012. China’s surging water demand has led it to invest $635 billion in water control infrastructure over the next decade[18].  China’s water demand in Xinjiang is growing rapidly because it is developing cotton and oil industries in the province as part of the “Great Development of the West” plan and because it is encouraging an inflow of ethnic Han Chinese into the province as part of its “Go West” campaign that contributes to the world’s largest migration in history. China’s National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) alone plans to spend $30 billion in Xinjiang by 2020 to boost its oil production by more than 60 percent; other companies have either built or consider building a number of dams. The projected increase of Xinjiang’s population from 20 million to 100 million is, in turn, expected to increase the use of water by a factor of two by 2030. But as an unintended consequence, the pressures on the Irtysh and Ili rivers are expected to exert a negative impact on the environment and agriculture of Kazakhstan [19]. 

With the rapid expansion of its economy, China is confronting a human development challenge that could potentially destabilize varying regions. China recently reaffirmed its objective of developing the "Far West" (xibu dakaifa) as one of its main economic and policy issues for the coming years. Indeed, Beijing has placed much hope in developing western China’s agriculture industry, particularly cotton, which occupies close to half of Xinjiang's arable land. Cotton production has become a key factor in the Chinese economy, and Beijing considers the massive exportation of textiles to be of vital strategic interest. China also seeks to augment wheat production in the autonomous Kazakh region of Xinjiang. This production is forecast to double to five million tonnes per year. To this end, new fields will require additional water supplies, which can only come from the Ili and Irtysh Rivers.

With constant decreases in the deposits of the northeast, Beijing also seeks to exploit the region's petroleum resources. Xinjiang is believed to be home to more than a quarter of the country's petroleum and gas reserves and is set to become the energy center of China in a few years. China is looking to attain production levels of 35 million tonnes of petroleum per year, which should satisfy more than a fifth of Chinese demands by 2010. The Urumqi and Lanzhu refineries will directly benefit from this appreciable increase in the petroleum supply; and the Tarim gas fields would—once the pipelines presently under construction are completed—service Shanghai. This economic development has favored urban growth in the Tarim and Turpan regions, and the emerging towns in them have only continued to increase their water consumption.In order to successfully complete these projects, Beijing has decided to increase the amount of water extracted from the Ili and Irtysh Rivers. [20]

Irtysh river. The Irtysh starts as a small brook on icy slopes of the Altai Mountains in Mongolia, at the height of 2,500 m above the sea level, in faraway and magic country of Dzungaria — Western part of a Chinese province Sinsiang. Falling down from the mountains, the upper flow of the river washes away the banks. Its character causes its name. The word “Irtysh” means “earth-mover” in Turkic.The river is called the Black Irtysh until it flows into the Zaisan Lake. The Zaisan Lake is big but shallow watered. You can watch the way the Irtysh flows on its bottom. Flowing out of the lake, the river gets its name. Down the stream, the Irtysh mountainous banks are changed into a cascade of large electric power stations (Bukhtarminskaya, Shulbinskaya, Ust-Kamenogorskaya and others).Leaving the mountains, the Irtysh River enters vast and arid Kazakhstan steppes. For a distance of 1,174 km the river flows through the Omsk region and possesses all specific features of a plain river. In the north of the Omsk region, the Irtysh flows through taiga zone (thick and deep forests) until it falls into the Ob.[21]

Length of Irtysh — 4248 kilometers, the area of the bassin — 1643 thousand square kilometers. The river originates in the territory of China, on border with Mongolia, on ridge slopes the Mongolian Altai, After China the river flows across the territory of Kazakhstan, a result crosses border with Russia and flows into Ob. On coast of Irtysh in Kazakhstan are located Ust Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Families, its waters are used for food of the canal Irtysh-Karaganda and further — for water supply of the capital of the republic of Astana. In total Irtysh is a source of drinking water for four million Kazakhstan citizens. Black Irtysh is a source of big Irtysh, the 600-kilometers of the river is in the territory of China, 70 kilometers untill the Lake Zaisan which is in East Kazakhstan. The fact telling about the importance of Black Irtysh for all trans-boundary rivers: in the territory of the People's Republic of China a one third of the drain of Big irtysh is formed . Without this feed it is possible to put a cross on Zaisan – the lake will turn into the huge drying bog . It is possible to say goodbye to the East Kazakhstan hydropower development which will lead to the fall of hydroelectric power station to a critical minimum. It is possible to forget about water meadows and melioration in the Semey region, the Pavlodar, Omsk areas …

The road across Irtysh to China was reconnoitered 300 years ago. For the sake of trade with China shipowners didn't regret money to deepen the course near Ust Kamenogorsk and on Black Irtysh. Even before revolution of transportation by barges became so significant that the Chinese Chuguchak, Urumqi and Shara-Sume became dependent on the Russian packing of tea! In 1913 here across Irtysh 654 tons of tea briquettes transported. The river worked a whole day without a break: to the up, it carried coal and the wood, down – water-melons, fish, honey, crushed stone, sand, cattle, cotton, wool, skin, furs. In Soviet period the Up-Irtysh shipping company for navigation transported 7 million tons of freights. Vessels went to Buran – the settlement on the border with China.[22] Untill the 50th years of the last century steamships rose even up across Black Irtysh that served a good exchange of goods between the adjacent states. Nowadays, The river Black Irtysh shallows year by year . According to official data, annual irrevocable selection of water by China makes one and a half billion cubes. By 2020 it will increase to 5 billion. It means only one for Kazakhstan: where the river flew, there would be a dried-up course."Black Irtysh never was such shallow, – the people of the East Kazakhstan border village "Buran" sent a letter to Astana. – There is no spawning, there is no fish - say local people.

Economic importance of the Irtysh River for Kazakhstan is very high. In the territory of our republic lives about 2,5 million people in a river basin. In this area large industrial centers - Ust Kamenogorsk, Semipalatinsk, Pavlodar are located. First of all, projects of China on a water intake will very negatively affect hydropower of Kazakhstan. On Irtysh. the Bukhtarminsky, Ust Kamenogorsk and Shulbinsky hydroelectric power stations are situated.

By calculations of hydrologists taking into account transport and power expenses of a drain across Irtysh together with a share of Russia, losses of evaporation and dispersion averages are 25 - 30, 9 km 3 in average. Because of shortage of stitched water the lake Zaisan can be lost. The most beautiful reservoir will turn into a bog, fish will be lost, the muskrat will disappear. And the river will become dirtier several times. It will be especially polluted by inflows of Irtysh – small rivers Breksa, Glubochank and Krasnoyarsk.it is not far the time when those receive the seventh class of quality – "extremely dirty". Not so long ago Irtysh was considered as one of the purest rivers of the planet, but already today it is not adviced to drink feom the river. There is even an opinion - the problem of Irtysh creates threat of pollution in the global scale. Irtysh, falling into Ob, and then to the North-Antalantic ocean, will become a potential source of pollution of the World Ocean. Besides the situation is aggravated by high probability of earthquakes. On a channel of Irtysh there is a tectonic break, and annually, for example, around Bukhtarminsky hydroelectric power station is registered to ten seismopushes - scientists-seismologists consider.

Water resources of the Irtysh River are used for providing regions of the Central Kazakhstan. Moreover, further prospects of development of power, the industry and agriculture are mostly connected to the use of resources of this river. Expansion of use of water resources of the Irtysh River in the territory of China is capable to entail a number of negative consequences for Kazakhstan both socially and economically, also ecologically.

• Threats to economy:

• -Disorganization of work of a number of the enterprises;

• -Causing damage to fishery and agrarian sector, decrease in productivity of crops, degradation of pastures;

• reduction of a water drain and problem of pollution of water industrial wastes (as from the People's Republic of China, and Kazakhstan) which will lead to increase in a natural concentration of harmful substances in water that will be almost unsuitable for economic consumption in lower reaches of Irtysh, etc.

• Experts distinguish the following from ecological consequences:

climate aridization:

• violation of natural water balance and natural balance in the Lake Zaisan zone (in the delta of Irtysh in the territory of Kazakhstan).

Thus, considering the given facts, to sum up, we can make the following predictions:

The reduction of water resources in a river basin Irtysh is expected: by 2030 on 8 cubic km, by 2040 - on 10 cubic km, by 2050 - on 11,4 cubic km.

All this will lead, first, to considerable decrease in power generation on the cascade of hydroelectric power station on Irtysh to 25% by 2030 and to 40% by 2050. It will also promote the actual termination of navigation in RK on this river since 2020.

Secondly, this situation will lead to practical degradation of channels, reservoirs (Bukhtarminskoye and Shulbinskoye) in the territory of Kazakhstan eating from the Irtysh River.

Thirdly, there will be a deterioration of a surface water and pollution of underground waters.

Fourthly, in case the massive intake of waters of Irtysh from China begins, the river of Irtysh in all territory of Kazakhstan and to Omsk can become a chain of bogs and still waters. It is clear that it will lead to catastrophic deterioration not only an ecological, but also economic situation in this region.

Fifthly, implementation of plans of the People's Republic of China for increase in an intake of waters of Irtysh by means of channels and other hydraulic engineering constructions will approach drying first of all of the Lake Zaisan feeding on waters of this river.

Ili river. Drainage from other cross-border river - Ili can lead to the similar consequences. Ili River, Chinese (Pinyin) Yili He or (Wade-Giles romanization) I-li Ho, Kazakh Ile, river in western Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China, and southeastern Kazakhstan. It is 870 miles (1,400 km) long and drains the basin between the Tien Shan range to the south and the Borohoro (Poluokenu) Mountains to the north. Both ranges are extremely high. The drainage basin of the Ili and its principal tributaries—the Kax (Kashi), Künes, and Tekes rivers—is rugged and mountainous, the axes of the mountain systems running approximately west-east. Just within the Chinese frontier the valley broadens out to form a fertile plain around Yining (Kuldja). The Ili River flows westward into Kazakhstan, to the north of Almaty, and eventually discharges into Lake Balkhash. The Ili valley is much wetter than most of Chinese Central Asia and has a large settled farming population, predominantly engaged in cultivating wheat. The uplands support large numbers of sheep, goats, and horses.[23]

So, the construction plan of the channel from river Ili is implemented to supply the water the the western part of the Tarim hollow . The channel is directed provide Tarim bassin with water . It should be noted that these two channels were constructed with the intention that the admission of water through them can be risen to 6,3 cubic km. water in a year. Besides, now China intensively starts mastering 13 reservoirs and 59 hydropower stations operating in the river Ili. All this will be directed not only to increase cultivated areas which is palnned to reach about 600 thousand hectares in 2015, but also will be spent on industrial facilities which are planned to finish.

On river banks of Ili . the Chinese authorities plan to construct power stations, it is more than ten large reservoirs, dams and other GTS. Now the water intaken from Ili, in the Chinese territory, makes about 3,5 km3 in a year, according to forecasts, in the next years it can increase to 5 km 3. By experts' estimates, implementation of all planned projects on the river Ili will lead to that by 2050 the river drain in Kazakhstan will decrease by 40%. Moreover, after input in industry, generally oil-extracting and oil processing, the enterprises in a river basin in the territory of China, pollution of river water will increase. These problems, together with observed natural deficiency of water in the river Ili, can promote a sharp shallowing of Lake Balkhash. This river provides with fresh water the largest lake of Kazakhstan in size - Balkhash. The river Ili gives about 75% of all inflow of water to Lake Balkhash, which plays an important role in republic economy, providing with water the population Pribalkhashya, and also the enterprises of metallurgical and power industry. The extensive damage will be caused to agrarian sector, and also fishery etc. In the ecological plan the shallowing and salinization of Balkhash can lead to the consequences similar to the Aral tragedy as the lake plays a key role in climatic balance of all southeast and central parts of Kazakhstan.

The existing agreement on use of the drainage of transboundary river Ile does

not provide any serious obligation of Chinese part on taking into consideration of

Kazakhstan’s interests. Government of CPR declared about the acceleration of scaled

implementation of western China, which is the most degrade region of the country, what cause increasing of water use of transboundary rivers of Kazakhstan.

Picture 2. Water facility arrangements of CPR in the basin of Ili river

Hydroelectric power plants - . - . - . - State borders Irrigated fields Road Rivers Cities Water reservoirs

On the Chinese part of the Ile River the building of channel is planning for

replenishment of the salt lake Ebi-Nur and transfer of Ile water to the river Tarim. Withdrawal can be approximately 1.5-4.0 km3, from 15-40% average annual flow in this dam location. To the year 2015, as a result of increasing withdrawal from the Ile river can be the deficit of withdrawal in CPR for support of the degree of Balkhash lake on the maximum note 341.0 m. To the year 2020, by expected withdrawal in CPR approximately 5 km3 the deficit of withdrawal can be 3 km3. If the withdrawals in CPR will increase substantial 5rm3, and the degradation of mountain freezing will stop, it can cause much more deficit of withdrawal and sharply reducing of lake level , and the most important is that it cause substantial increasing of mineralization of the western part of the lake. That makes difficult water use for water supply for Balkhash city and enterprises.

##	Irrigation System	Irrigated square, ha
		For 1995	Planned
1	Right-bank of the Ili river	0	208000
2	Left-bank of the Ili river	0	155200
3	Left-bank of the Tekes river	26000	67900
4	Left-bank of the Kunes river	16000	455000
5	Left-bank of the upper Tekes river	18700	91800
	Total:	156000

Increasing of industry and water use can grow soon. On the materials of CWR, CPR in autonomous region the square of irrigated lands increase from 156 000 ha to 570 000. Water volume for this period was increased from 1.6 till 4.0 km3, but water volume for ecological aim was reduced from 5.0 till 2.0 km3. Only the reserve of spring water was increased from 0.9-0.4 km 3.

Table 1. Water resources use of Ili basin in China’s territory

In ecological plan swallowing, salting of the Balkhash can cause the consequences

such as the tragedy of Aral Sea. Balkhash Lake plays the key role in climatic balance of the whole south-east and central parts of Kazakhstan. Chinese program of implementation of water resources of Transboundary rivers has serious risk for Kazakhstan, can cause big withdrawal and next big ecological disaster on the south and south-east of the Republic.

Kazakhstan needs the Guarantee of Chinese Government on passing of water volume, providing needs of Kazakhstan locals and economy, and conservation of natural environment in the downstream of Transboundary Rivers. Such guaranties should be submitted in Kazakhstan-Chinese intergovernmental agreements on water resources distribution and prevention of water pollution of Transboundary Rivers, which should be signed soon. Should be noticed, that by analyze of water problems

on transboundary river Ile, in the aspect of international use should be kept in mind, that existing water resources are on the level of exhausted. Further implementation of the rich row materials of Kazakhstan is not possible with reduced water resources. Therefore, by signing of juridical documents Kazakhstan should reserve enough water volume drainage from China, which does not allow ecological disaster in the region and provide necessary level of water for normal functioning of Balkash lake.

Massive intake of waters of river Ili from the Chinese party will lead to a shallowing of Lake Balkhash. The river Ili is the main supplier of water to Lake Balkhash. It gives 70-80% of all inflow of water to this lake. The river begins in Mountains Tien Shan, mainly on the Chinese party. Respectively, the river Ili eats thawing of glaciers of this mountain system. Now Lake Balkhash exists thanks to intensive thawing of glaciers of Tien Shan.

In opinions of experts, despite increase in a glacial drain on Tien Shan, increase of norms of an intake of water Ili even for 10% will become accident in the form of division of Balkhash into two reservoirs with the subsequent drying of east part. The shallowing of Balkhash will cause distribution of salt from its bottom across all territory of the region, including the glaciers of Tien Shan located in China, which after that, will start thawing.

As a result, less water will come to the mountain rivers. Thereby China which is in upper courses of a drain of the rivers Or and Irtysh, will appear as the manager of scarce water. Besides, thawing of glaciers of Tien Shan will develop into dumping to lower reaches of big mass of water together with mud streams. It will lead to a catastrophic situation in the territory of a number of areas not only China, but also Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Besides, the accelerated industrial development of northwest China, can significantly increase pollution of Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan chemicals and fertilizers. It should be noted that the significant contribution to pollution of waters Ili and Irtysh is brought by the industrial facilities located in Kazakhstan.

It is also necessary to note that the considerable drain of water of the rivers Ili and Irtysh (about 7,5 cubic km that there correspond 15% all of them water resources) results from irrational use and its non-productive losses because of negligence, both Chinese, and Kazakhstan ‘s parties.[24]

Lake Balkhash. Lake Balkhash is one of the largest reservoirs in Kazakhstan, the third after the Caspian Sea and the drying Aral, drainless midland reservoir of the planet. The LAKE always had the practical

importance for the people living on its coast. First of all it, of course, is its fish wealth. And now the water is used for conducting technological processes On"Balkhashtsvetmet" and power generation of Balkhash combined heat and power plant.

It is necessary to emphasize that existence of the lake always depended on quantity of a drain of the rivers Ili, Karatal, Lepsa, Aksu flowing into the lake from South side. From the North. the rivers with a changeable drain - Ayagoz, Tokrau flow into the lake, Biyen, Mointa. It is necessary to remind that existence of Lake Balkhash is possible only on condition of inflow of river waters. The largest river of the pool is the river Ili. The share of its river inflow makes 78 percent, and 22 percent are the share of the rivers which flow into the lake in east part lakes. The river Ili is formed in the territory of China at confluence Tekes and Kunges. The total area of the pool - 140 thousand square kilometers, 45 percent of the area is in the territory of the People's Republic of China within Sintszyan-Uigur Autonomous Region (SUAR). In the territory of SUAR , the large hydrotechnical objects are built which are used for irrigation and energy. Due to the intensive development of natural raw material resources of SUAR and intention of the leadership of the People's Republic of China to turn it into the trade and economic region of Central Asia, in China there was a need of use of water resources of the river Ili for the irrigation of new lands and for the development of water capacious branches of mining and industry. It, in turn, caused inflow ofhuge number of migrants from the internal regions of the People's Republic of China to the SUAR. The volume of production and water consumption can grow by several times soon. According to the data of committee on the SUAR People's Republic of China, recent years. the area of an irrigation of lands in these areas have grown from 1,2 to 4 million hectares. For comparison it is possible to note that in the

Ili-Balkhash basin the area of the irrigated lands makes 648,5 thousand hectares. Besides systems come to an end channel's construction from Ili to Ebi-Nour's lake and transfer of Ili's water into the South SUAR to the river Tarim.

These data are published in the monograph "Problems of hydroecological stability in the basin of Lake Balkhash", under the edition of A. Samakova . According to the data given by A. Abdurakhima in its work "The general assessment of land resources. Researches

the arid districts of Urumqi in 2000", the assumed intake of water can reach 1,5-4 cubic kilometers a year that makes 15-40 percent from a river drain. If to consider that average annual drain of the river Ili makes 11,35 cubic kilometers a year, it is easy to predict, what negative consequences it will cause in the lower watercourse Ili in the territory of Kazakhstan.

Now there is still no full clarity concerning terms of realization of the People's Republic of China's planned actions, and it gives us time for acceptance of urgent measures and negotiations with the Chinese party. At the same time in scientific literature and mass media articles on these issues began to appear more often.

The researches. which are connected with an assessment of influence of volumes of water consumption in a river basin Ili and Lake Balkhash, were carried out by a number of scientists and NAN RK'S experts, KAZNIGMI, Kazgidroproyekt and other organizations for the uniform program under the auspices of parent organization - Institute of geography of NAN RK under the leadership of professor A. Tursunov. The assessment of influence of economic activity on change of level of Lake Balkhash and a water ecosystem in general was specified in recent years by the doctor of geographical sciences Zh.Dostayem. These researches devoted to the forecast of change of level Balkhash at various options of economic activity in its basin, showed that instead of Lake Balkhash there can be some separate salty reaches.

Water surface of the lake Dried surface of the lake

Figure 3. Possible future of Balkhash lake

Therefore on the agenda of the XXI century questions of rational use of water resources, especially development of technologies of water saving in the irrigated agriculture, and also questions of the state water division will be sharply raised.

Participants of the International ecological forum on a problem of a sustainable development of the Ili-Balkhash basin , which took place in November, 2000 in Almaty, appealed to the President, the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the international organizations. In the draft of the address it is noted that "the forum characterizes the ecological situation created in the Ili-Balkhash bassin as critical, with the progressing vulnerability of ecosystems and instability of level of the lake, caused by the problems of irrational use of water, interstate water division, decrease in moisture-holding ability of mountain ecosystems, deforestation, irreversible thawing of glaciers and other menacing factors". And further: "If this situation is aggravated with additional withdrawal of a cross-border drain of the river Ili, there will be an environmental disaster similar to Aral, characterized by a shallowing and salinization of Balkhash, growth of dryness of climate, economic collapse and social tension. It will cause flows of ecological refugees, destabilizes processes of regional security in Central Asia".

According to the data above, on Lake Balkhash there can be serious changes in the level of water, without reaching irrigation fields,it is lost mainly on a filtration. If to consider that an irrigation gets in average 4,1 cubic km of water a year, 1,7 cubic km simply go to the sand. Thereof in the absence of drainage system the level of underground waters rises, and there is a secondary salinization, flooding ofsoils, which leads to increase in an ecological pressureon environment, decrease of productivity of crops and the disppearance of the irrigated lands from an agricultural turn. In recent years, in connection with smashing of large-scale enterprises into small ones,

the soil and meliorative condition of the irrigated lands sharply worsened, the farmland, interdepartmental channels, intraeconomic irrigating networks worsened too. The latter remained without strong owner and supervision. Thus, hoping for the favorable solution of a question between the People's Republic of China and Kazakhstan on use of transboundary water resources, it is necessary to bring an order in our home, having closely dealt with issues of rational use of water on an irrigation and other needs in the Ili-Balkhas basin.

Zaysan lake

The first descriptions of Lake Zaysan and the surrounding area were published in English in 1858 and 1865 [25]. The second of those earliest descriptions (made by a local resident) contains the important details: “The length of the lake is about 90 miles”—at present ~66 miles; “the breadth is 15 to 30 miles”—at present ~15 to ~20 miles (the maximum width 48 km in recent publications corresponds to the artificial reservoir); “the depth in some parts to 40 feet”—before construction of the dam, maximum depth was 26-27 feet. This difference well corresponds to the present observations by local people: the remote traces of the old surf indicate significantly larger area of the lake (especially the length) in the past. Surprisingly,—the observation published in January 1865 [26] also noted: "In the former years it was of greater extent and depth"; this is “proved by the existence of sand-hillocks at considerable extent." Hence, during at least three recent centuries the Lake Zaysan is swiftly fading. This negative process is accelerated: according to the same source the main tributary of the lake was named “Black Irtysh River”

Due to its purity and resulting dark appearance while the outflow—“White Irtysh River” owing to its turbidity. In other words the inflow was pure while the outflow carried the potential sediments out of the lake. Plausibly, this phenomenon of self-cleaning sedimentary dynamics was responsible for the astonishing longevity of the Lake Zaysan. Unfortunately, such self-cleaning mechanism does not support the Lake nowadays. The observer of the middle of XIX century also remarked that the waters in the lake “are transparent, fresh, soft and good for cooking purposes”; “the sturgeon, the sterled and the Nelma salmon are abundant in the lake” (some fish is still abundant). In the middle of XIX century the lake and the surrounding region was Chinese territory but fishing was conducted by the Russians. That international conflict of that time was solved peacefully: for the price of “500 salted sterleds yearly” [26]. Even the name of the lake is remarkable: it means “Noble” or “Honorable’ in Kalmyk language. This name was given in 1650 in grateful remembrance of the famine time when fishing in this lake saved that small nation. Still earlier, the Lake carried the Mongolian name Kun-blotu-Nor—the Lake of Bells—due to bell-like sounds produced by the waves striking the shore. Both titles of the Lake are symbolic: the Noble Lake—the most venerable lake of the planet keeping in its memory at least 70 millions years; the Lake of Bells alarming about the fate of the natural treasures.

Nowadays, the Lake is acceleratingly vanishing, , the human beings, both China and Kazakhstan a are blamed. If not to find a solution we are in danger to lose such a treasure of the nature. Zaysan—the Only Surviving Cretaceous Lake—May be Lost.[27]