Chinese scientists have released a groundbreaking streamflow dataset from the Tianshan Mountains, one of Central Asia’s most important water sources. This new data offers critical insights into water resources and how climate change is affecting the region.
The study was led by researchers from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and published in the journal Scientific Data. They collected daily streamflow data from 56 watersheds and monthly data from 89 watersheds in the Tianshan Mountains.
By combining information from both domestic and international monitoring stations, the researchers were able to reconstruct long-term streamflow records. “Because of scarce data and complex hydrological conditions in the Tianshan region, long-term and complete streamflow data have been lacking,” explained Li Shuai, the study’s first author. “This is the first comprehensive and long-term effort to model and reconstruct streamflow data at the watershed scale in the Tianshan Mountains.”
The findings show that overall streamflow has been increasing, especially between 1990 and 2019. The western and southern parts of the mountains saw higher streamflow, while the eastern and northern areas had lower levels.
This dataset fills a crucial gap, providing essential information for managing water resources and understanding the impact of climate change in Central Asia.
