10
ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
Sea. Small mountainous ridges and elevations cross its central part,
closed inland drainage basins are common for the landscape in the
South. In the South and Southeast of the country the plains gradually
transform themselves into ridges and reliefs
of the Tien-Shan and
Gissar-Allay mountain systems. Between these ridges are located
vast valleys with plane-like surfaces (e.g. Tashkent-Golodnosteppe
Valley, Fergana and Zeravshan Valleys). The territory of the Republic
is characterised by significant variations in altitude. The lowest spot
is at the bottom of the Mingbulak depression (12 meters under sea
level). Khazret Sultan peak of the Gissar Chain is the highest point,
at 4643 m above sea level.
Uzbekistan’s climate is strongly influenced by its location
between the subtropical and temperate zones. High solar radia-
tion, coupled with the unique features of its surface and air
circulation patterns form a continental-type climate. This climate is
characterized by seasonal and day-to-night fluctuations in tempera-
ture, long, hot,
and dry summers, humid springs, and irregular
(some times cold) winters. Depending on the location,
average July
temperatures vary from 26 °C in the North, to 30 °C in the South,
with the peak temperature around 45-47 °C. Average January
temperatures are –8 °C in the North, and 0 °C in the South, with the
lowest temperature being –38° (on the Usturt Plateau). Uzbekistan’s
territory is penetrated by diverse air masses. Transformed Atlantic
and Arctic air masses access the vast plains from the North and
Northwest. Incursion of tropical air masses and warm southern
cyclones can occur across Central Asia, particularly during the cold
Figure 2.4.
Lowland
landscape of Uzbekistan
(Photo by Adriana
Dinu
by United
Nations Development
Programme in
Europe and CIS UN
Photostream)
2. UZBEKISTAN: A COUNTRY WITH HISTORY,
PRESENT AND FUTURE
11
half of the year, provoking intensive warming and abrupt changes in
the weather.
Precipitation occurs all year-round, peaking between April and
May, or between March and April in higher altitudes. However,
precipitation is most common in winter and spring. In spring, snow
avalanches are likely and intense rainfall can lead to mudslides.
Highly arid,
continental, tropical air forms in the summer months,
intensely heating the deserts. On the whole, precipitation is minimal
(within the range of 80-200 mm a year), yet very unstable, with an
annual precipitation variation factor of 0.5.
Precipitation can be as
much as 300-400 mm a year in the foothills, and 600-800 mm a year
on the western and south west slopes of mountain ranges, which are
subject to wet air masses. Conspicuously, the Aral Sea does not affect
the quantity of precipitation very much,
only contributing to slight
increases of humidity in the narrow coastal areas.
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