The hydrological and hydrochemical composition of the water bodies of the southern Aral Sea region

General characteristics of the hydrological and hydrochemical state of water bodies of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in the context of climate change are given in the article. It is noted that climate change directly affects socio-economic activity, affecting agriculture, water resources, energy and food security, limiting economic growth. At the same time, the deficit of water resources, as is known, is a restraining factor for the development of agriculture and the organization of efficient water use. The assessment of the current hydrological and hydro-chemical state of water bodies of the Southern Aral Sea region in the context of climate change is the purpose of the article. The analysis of changes in the average annual air temperature at 6 meteorological stations of the Republic of Karakalpakstan for two periods (2009–2013 and 2019–2023) showed that the average annual temperature increased at all meteorological stations by 0.4…0.9 oC, and by 2.6 oC over the past 50 years (1972–2023, according to the Chimbay meteorological station). In the Republic of Karakalpakstan the volume of collector and drainage water was 1.76 km3, and the average mineralization was 3.77 g/l. The mineralization of water increased from 72.1 g/l in 2002 to 115.4 g/l by 2009 in the Aral Sea (western part). The mineralization of water in 2014 varied from 130 to 250 g/l in the Western and Eastern Aral. The chemical composition was sodium chloride.