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Analytical Overview
In the publication, Watersheds of the World (Revenga, et al., 1998), a watershed or river basin is defined as the entire area drained by a major river system or by one of its main tributaries. Often extending across one or more international boundaries, watersheds play a critical role in the natural functioning of the Earth. Watersheds used in Watersheds of the World were modeled from elevation data using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Each watershed map presents the area occupied by the basin, the number of cities with a population greater than 100,000 people, the number of Ramsar sites (sites of wetlands of international importance) and the extent of modified landscape within the basin. Modified landscape refers to cropland and developed area (urban centers, roads, oil drilling sites, etc.). For regions below the equator in Asia and above 54 degrees North in North America, data on developed areas were not available; thus in these watersheds the modified landscape is under-estimated. This is particularly true for the Murray-Darling basin in Australia.

Each basin profile contains 24 descriptive indicators. Some data were not available for all basins, and are consequently indicated by "--" in the map descriptions. Land cover percentages, derived from the USGS Global Land Cover Characterization database with the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP) classification, may not always add up to 100 percent due to rounding and to the exclusion of areas covered by ice. Data on fish species were compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). Abbreviations for Total Fish Species are "intr." for introduced fish (fish which are not native but have adapted and survived), and "diad." for diadromous fish (fish which migrate between fresh and salt water). Data on protected areas and wetlands are from the Biodiversity Map Library, produced by WCMC. Deforestation rate is based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on forest area for the years between 1980 and 1990. Data presented are not annual rates, but mean percent loss of forest for the period 1980-1990. The source used for percent eroded area was the Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD), developed by the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Data for number of large dams was taken from ArcAtlas: Our Earth Database (ESRI, 1997) and the National Inventory of Dams (Army Corps of Engineers, 1995-1996). Data for planned major dams was taken from the International Water Power and Dam Construction Handbook, 1995. It is important to note that information on dam construction for many countries was not available. Water availability per capita was calculated using average runoff data and basin area measurements from Water Quality of World River Basins, Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS), 1995.

Please refer to the Appendix of the publication for detailed information on data sources and methodology used.


Watersheds of the World: Asia and Oceania - Amur Watershed

Map Projection

Lambert Equal-Area Azimuthal

Map Description

Basin Area: 1,929,981sq.km.
Forest: 68%
Population Density: 35 people per sq.km.
Cropland: 18%
Urban Growth Rate: 3.0%
Cropland Irrigated: 8%
Large Cities: 22
Developed: 3%
Total Fish Species: 120
Shrub: 0%
Fish Endemics: 6
Grassland: 8%
Threatened Fish Species: 2
Barren: 0%
Endemic Bird Areas: 0
Loss of Original Forest: 33%
Ramsar Sites: 7
Deforestation Rate: --
Protected Areas: 2%
Eroded Area: 0%
Wetlands: 4%
Large Dams: 5
Arid: 15%
Planned Major Dams: --
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Citation:
Revenga, C., S. Murray, J. Abramovitz, and A. Hammond, 1998. Watersheds of the World: Ecological Value and Vulnerability. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute.
Sources:
  1. United Nations Environment Program. 1997, World Atlas of Desertification, 2nd edition.London, UK:UNEP.Edited by N. Middleton and D. Thomas.
  2. Environmental Systems Research Institute. 1992, ArcWorld 1:3M. Continental Coverage. Redlands, CA:ESRI.
  3. Global Environment Monitoring System. 1995, Water Quality of World River Basins.
  4. Center for Natural Resources, Energy and Transport of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations. 1978, Register of International Rivers. Oxford, UK:Pergamon Press.
  5. UNEP - ISRIC (International Soil Reference and Information Centre). 1990, Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD). Wageningen, Netherlands:
  6. Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN); Columbia University; International Food Policy and Research Institute; and World Resources Institute. 2000, Gridded Population of the World, Version 2. Palisades, NY:CIESIN, Columbia University.
    Available On-line at: Source Link.
  7. United Nations Urban Agglomerations. 1996, Urban Agglomerations.
  8. UNEP - Birkbeck College of the University of London. 1990, World Cities Population Database. London, UK:
  9. World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1999, Fish Species Data: Endemics, Diadromous, Introduced, Threatened.
  10. World Conservation Union (IUCN). 1996, 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.
  11. World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1999, Protected Areas Database. Cambridge, UK:WCMC.Unpublished data.
  12. United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center. 1999, 1 km Land Cover Characterization Database, Database Revisions for Latin America. Sioux Falls, SD:USGS EDC.Unpublished data.
  13. World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1996, Original Forest Map, Current Forest Map. Cambridge, UK:WCMC.
  14. UNEP-WCMC (United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre). 1998, Global Wetland Distribution. Cambridge, UK:UNEP-WCMC.
  15. Environmental Systems Research Institute. 1997, ArcAtlas: Our Earth Database.
  16. US Army Corps of Engineers. 1996, National Inventory of Dams.
  17. Stattersfield, A.J., M.J. Crosby, A.J. Long, and D.C. Wege. 1998. Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation.Birdlife Conservation SeriesNo. 7:
  18. Kottelat, Maurice and Whitten, Tony. 1996, Freshwater Biodiversity in Asia with Special Reference to Fish.