Data on world reservoirs

Abstract

1. The high rates of reservoir construction throughout the world give evidence of the fact that at the present stage of economic development reservoirs are objectively necessary for solving water resources problems both in industrially-developed and in developing countries. 2. The great achievements in the field of hydraulic construction make it possible to regulate the flow of the largest rivers in the world and to create reservoirs with parameters exceeding those of many large natural lakes. The high scales achieved in reservoir construction during the past two decades, and the many-sided effects of reservoirs on the natural surroundings and on the economy call for an intensification of scientific investigations and for the unification of the efforts of scientists in different countries. 3. One of most fruitful devices for scientific research, widely applied also in reservoir design, is the analogy method. Its utilization and development call for the preparation of different reservoir classifications and typologies, which in turn generates the need for an adequate approach to the use and publication of data on reservoirs. A list of the most desirable reservoir indices should be an object for discussion by specialists in different countries.