Краткое содержание отчета по экологической оценке Проекта по уст ойчивом у управлению т верды м и от ходами

Surface water and ground water resources
270. 
The main waterway of Khoresm province is the Amudarya river. There are such 
irrigation channels as: Levoberejny, Tashsakay, Shavat, Palvan, Gazavat, and drainage 
channels are Ozerny, Daryalyk, Chekkakul, Divankulsky. The province has such water 
reservoirs as: Sultansanzhar, Koshbulak and Kaparas. The reservoirs have a total storage 
capacity of 7.36 billion m3 and available water is 5.2 billion m3. Ground water is very shallow, 
ranging from 0.7 to 2.5 meters, in some areas up to 5 m. Groundwater recharge occurs at 
the expense of the underground flow from the Amudarya and channels, as well as due to 
infiltration of irrigation water and rainfall. The groundwater mineral content varies significantly 
from 1.5 to 50 g / l, with high salt and corrosive potential in relation to concrete. Underground 
water can be used for drinking water only when using desalination plants.
Soils
271. 
The topography in Khorezm is flat, with elevation points ranging between 112 and 
138 meter above the sea level. The geomorphological structure of the soils are loess-like 
loams interbedded with lenses of sand and gravel ranging from 2 to 40 m. Soil texture is 
dominated by silt loam layers together with sandy loams and loams that constitute almost 
80% of all soil layers. Organic matter in irrigated soils is low, constituting on average 7.5 g 
kg-1 (0.75%) in the topsoil layers and decreasing in the deeper layers. Most subsoils in
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Khorezm are slightly- to medium-saline, whereas the majority of topsoils above 60 cm are 
strongly saline.
Biodiversity, ecological and cultural heritage
272. 
Natural vegetation is preserved in the floodplain of the Amu Darya and sands. In the 
floodplain riparian forests on alluvial soils with shallow groundwater are common- turanga, 
olive, tamarisk, halimodendron, krugloplodnik, cane, kermek, etc. On sandy tracts are 
distributed associations of crowfoot, narrow-leaved and leafless shrubs, including kanda, 
sand acacia, garnal, bindweed, parnolistnik, wormwood, euphorbia, adzhryk, kolyuchelistnik, 
yantak, epilazna, Astragalus, and Salsola. The fauna of this region is typical for arid lands 
and represented by rodents, reptiles, insects, arachnids and many species of birds that live 
in the floodplains of rivers and lakes. From the animal world there are hares, jackals, foxes, 
gazelles, inreeds - susliks, ducks, hawks, larks, sparrows, starlings, golden oriole, from 
reptiles - geckos, turtles, zheltopuziki, lizards, from rodents - moles, jerboa, field mice, 
hedgehogs and rats. The main protected natural areas and IBA zones is presented in the 
table below:
Table 27: Main P rotected N atural A reas and IBA Zon es in Khorezm P rovince