This graph displays data starting from 1926, when the first regular measurements of the water level were recorded. According to Abdrakhmatov, during this period, the lake's level decreased by five meters until 1996, after which it began to gradually rise. He also noted that in the lake's history, the water level was 100 meters lower than the current level, which occurred about five thousand years ago.
The head of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic believes that the water level in Issyk-Kul will fluctuate around its average mark.
Photo by Kanatbek Abdrakhmatov
At the same time, parliament member Ulan Primov previously raised the issue of the need to take measures to protect the unique lake. According to him, each year, Issyk-Kul is becoming shallower.
“According to media reports, there used to be 80 rivers flowing into the lake, but now there are only about 35 left. This raises serious concerns. Urgent measures need to be developed for the protection and preservation of Issyk-Kul, and a separate agency should be created for these purposes. If nothing is done, Kyrgyzstan may face an ecological disaster in the future,” he added.
