The Kaidu River (; ; ), also known under its ancient name Chaidu-gol, is a river in the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC: previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest of the country at the crossroads ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and an important source of water for the region. The Kaidu River is responsible for many substantial effects on the environment. Affecting the land and its people in many different ways.
The sources of the Kaidu River are located on the central southern slopes of the
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan, also known as the Tengri Tagh or Tengir-Too, meaning the "Mountains of God/Heaven", is a large system of mountain ranges in Central Asia. The highest peak is Jengish Chokusu at high and located in Kyrgyzstan. Its lowest point is ...
from where it flows through the
Yulduz Basin["Xinjiang River Guide"]
and the Yanqi Basin into
Lake Bosten for which it is the most important tributary.
[Seespiegelschwankungen des Bosten-Sees ]
/ref> The river leaves the lake under the name Kongque River (), which literally means "Peacock River", but is derived from the Uyghur
Uyghur may refer to:
* Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia (West China)
** Uyghur language, a Turkic language spoken primarily by the Uyghurs
*** Old Uyghur language, a different Turkic language spoken in the Uyghur K ...
name "كۆنچى دەرياسى / Konchi Darya" which means "Tanner's River".[Nara Shiruku Rōdo-haku Kinen Kokusai Kōryū Zaidan, Shiruku Rōdo-gaku Kenkyū Sentā: Opening up the Silk Road: the Han and the Eurasian world, Nara International Foundation Commemorating the Silk Road Exposition, 2007] The Kongque River flows through the Iron Gate Pass () into the Tarim Basin
The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, Ch ...
.
Settlements on the river
Kaidu River
* Karashahar
Kongque River
* Tashidian
*Korla
Korla,The official spelling according to also known as Kurla, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency or Kuerle, is the second largest city by population in Xinjiang, China. It is a county-level city and the seat of Bayingolin Mo ...
Significant problems
The Kaidu River is a determinant factor of climate change in Northwest China. The river is a result of sensitivity due to climate variability. Due to studies through the usage of hydrologic sensitivity analysis, researchers were able to make this observation and make proof of it.
Northwest China has been subjected to affects from the Kaidu River because of global warming and water perturbation. Studies have shown a correlation between the temperature and the precipitation being the leading cause to these issues. Additionally, the Kaidu River resides in an arid zone, causing many different trends in temperature due to this climate change.
Land use-conversion is also a very problematic issue that is caused in the region of Northwest China due to climate change as well. Many of the people within this area have had to deal with deceases in natural grassland area. Cultivated land increased due to this issue as well. Land reclamations were what led to this, as well as an increase in the growth of socioeconomic development. This led to an increase in water management activities, which became an issue because of the consistent change of runoff.[Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Ding, J., & Fang, G. (2015). Land-use conversion and its attribution in the Kaidu–Kongqi River Basin, China. Quaternary International, 380-381, 216-223. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.10.010
]
References
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Rivers of Xinjiang
Sites along the Silk Road