REVIEW OF WATER VOLUME DYNAMICS AND ECOLOGICAL STATUS MODELING IN THE AYDAR-ARNASAY LAKE SYSTEM

The Aydar-Arnasay Lake System (AALS) is one of the largest artificial lake systems in Central Asia, formed as a result of irrigation development and water management practices in the Syr Darya River basin since the late 1960s. Over the past decades, the lake system has become an important component of the regional hydrological regime, ecological environment, fisheries, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic development. However, continuous fluctuations in water volume, water level, and surface area caused by climate change, reservoir operation, irrigation return flows, and increasing water demand have significantly affected the ecological stability of the lake system. The southern coastal zone of Aydarkol is composed of relatively dense proluvial and alluvial deposits, covered with sand up to 4-5 meters thick. These hard bedrocks protect the coasts from severe erosion. On the other hand, the height of the ascent towards the Nurota Mountains changes significantly. For this reason , the rise of the underground water level on the southern shores of Aydarkol did not extend as far as the northern shores. Also, in the southern coastal zone, the influence of groundwater on the formation of landscapes is well known, up to several tens, sometimes several hundred meters. On the shores of the lake, where the groundwater is very close to the surface, swamp, marsh-meadow, meadow-swamp, meadow and barren soils have developed. The hydromorphic feature in them is variable, and the lakes are associated with changes in the water level. Finally, the review identifies current research gaps and discusses future perspectives for integrated monitoring and sustainable management of the Aydar-Arnasay Lake System under changing environmental and climatic conditions.