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Abstract:

The Tien Shan glaciers are freshwater reservoirs in the Central Asian region, providing water to millions of residents in the region. Demand for water resources in Central Asia is growing rapidly as the region's population has doubled over the past 35 years. According to the census, the population of the USSR in 1989 was about 44 million people living in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Data for 2022 shows that the region is home to more than 80 million people. Annual population growth and intensive deglaciation in this region are increasing the unprecedented demand for water resources. Thus, the role of glaciers in providing water to the population of Kyrgyzstan is colossal, since the share of glacial waters averages 35-40%. Due to changes in temperature and precipitation, glaciers are retreating, losing several million cubic meters of water annually. If previously the glacier tongues were located at an average altitude of 3600 m, now this level has risen to a height of 3800 m. The total area of glaciers in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan is currently about 7000 km2. It is clear that glaciers are melting rapidly with climate change, but the role of extremely hot weather conditions in glacier melting has not yet been studied in detail and the role of this type of weather has not been assessed. The extremely hot climate also greatly influences the intensity of the formation of high-mountain lakes that are prone to erosion. Thus, our research shows the features of glacier reduction taking into account climatic anomalies. The peculiarity of such climatic conditions is often reflected in the manifestation of an increase in the flow of rivers and outburst-prone lakes. Our research is aimed at determining the characteristics of the reduction of Tien Shan glaciers in order to better understand the characteristics of climate change against the backdrop of extreme weather conditions in Central Asia, in particular in Kyrgyzstan.