A Method for the Azerbaijan Rivers’ Ecological Runoff Determination

Abstract

Results of the development of a method of determination of ecological runoff of the rivers of Azerbaijan are presented. The limited local water resources are widely used for irrigation while there are no regulatory documents to state the values of permissible irretrievable river waters abstraction. As a result of the existing methods and data analysis a conclusion on expediency of developing a hydrological method for the rivers’ ecological runoff assessment has been made. The proposed method is based on regularities of manyyear fluctuations of monthly runoff and changes of daily runoff within monthly intervals. Annual distribution of ecological runoff of 22 rivers with basins located in different physical/geographical regions of Azerbaijan was calculated with the help of this method. An example of the ecological runoff calculation for the Gyandzhachay River (the village of Zurnabad) is presented. As a result of field observations it has been found that water intakes for irrigation and drinking water supply, as well as disposal of untreated domestic waste waters and hydromorphological alterations in river valleys typical for many river basins of the territory under study are the main kinds of economic activities in this basin. It ha been shown that the value of potential irretrievable water abstraction can differ depending on the annual water content. Application of the proposed method will promote water bodies protection and preservation of the landscape, recreational/esthetic, as well as ecological functions of the rivers of Azerbaijan.