Mongolian Nature & Environment Website

Website: http://www.mnec.org.mn/sgp/eintro.htm

Great Mongolia website with information about Mongolian environment.

The total amount of water resources of Mongolia is estimated at 34.6 km3, of which 6.69 km3 is in Khentii, 1.51 km3 in Dornod, 0.14 km3 in Sukhbaatar. These three aimags of Eastern Mongolia accounts for 24.1 % of the total amount of all river water resources in Mongolia.As of 1999, Khentii, Dornod and Sukhbaatar aimags exploited 0.72%, 4.7% and 13.6% of their water resources respectively.

In Eastern Mongolia, there are 885 lakes and ponds of different sizes. 155 of them are in Khentii, 545 in Dornod (Eastern), 185 in Sukhbaatar. Most of them are closed and have no outflow.

There are over 1000 wetlands in Eastern Mongolia including Buir lake, Khalkh, Yakhi, Dorgon, Ganga nuur, Mongol Daguur, Kherlen, Onon, Ulz, Balj, Nomrog, Degee, Khalkh rivers.

Hydrologically, the territories of Khentii, Dornod and Sukhbaatar aimags belong to Pacific basin and Central Asian closed basin. Of the total territory, 64% belongs to the Pacific basin and 36% to the Central Asian closed basin.

Onon, Ulz, Kherlen, Khalkh gol, the biggest rivers in Eastern Mongolia are within Pacific basin. These rivers take their origins at upper parts of Khentii and Khyangan mountain ranges. They form about 11 % of the total surface water run-off in Mongolia. Network density within watersheds of the rivers is 0.1-0.15 km/km2.There are only small rivers with temporary flow in the Central Asian closed basin. Here, river network density is lower.