European Union Water Initiative Plus for the Eastern Partnership (EUWI+) Results 2 - 3 RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN KURA UPSTREAM MINGACHEVIR DAM RIVER BASIN DISTRICT IN AZERBAIJAN DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION PURPOSES Version 1, June 2020 Produced by EUWI+ Authors: Vafadar Ismayilov, Fuad Mammadov, Anar Nuriyev,Farda Imanov, Farid Garayev abbreviation Supervision Yannick Pochon Date 12.01.2019 Version Draft Acknowledgements: NEMD MENR, NHMD MENR, NGES MENR, Amelioration JSC, Azersu OSC, WRSA MOES Produced for: EUWI+ Financed by: European Union – Co-financed by Austria/France Disclaimer The EU-funded program European Union Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+ 4 EaP) is implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Organisation for Eco-nomic Co-operation and Development (OECD), both responsible for the implementation of Result 1, and an EU member states consortium comprising the Environment Agency Austria (UBA, Austria), the lead coordinator, and the International Office for Water (IOW, France), both responsible for the implementation of Results 2 and 3. The project is co-funded by Austria and France through the Austrian Development Agency and the French Ar-tois-Picardie Water Agency. This document, the “Thematic Summary, RBMP for Alazani-Iori river basin”, was produced by the EU member state consortium with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union or the Governments of the Eastern Partnership Countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of, or sovereignty over, any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries, and to the name of any territory, city or area. Imprint Owner and Editor: EU Member Office International de’l Eau State Consortium (IOW) Umweltbundesamt GmbH 21/23 rue de Madrid Spittelauer Lände 5 75008 Paris, FRANCE 1090 Vienna, Austria Responsible IOW Communication officer: Chloé Déchelette [email protected] 2 June 2020 Contents Acronyms………….………….………….………….………….………….……………….…….4 1. Characterization of the river basin district………….………….………….………….…….5 2. Pressures and impacts of human activities………….………….………….………….….11 3. Protected areas………….………….………….………….………….………….….……….……..15 4. Water bodies status and risk analysis………….………….………….…………...…………. 16 5 Surface and Ground water Monitoring………….………….………….………..….……….25 5.1 Surface water monitoring………….………….………….………….………..…………25 5.1.1 Current surface water monitoring situation………….………….…………..……… 25 5.1.2 Monitoring improvement………….………….………….………….…………..…….26 5.1.2.1 Chemical Monitoring………….………….………….………….………….…....…...26 5.1.2.2 Biological Monitoring………….………….………….………….………….…………27 5.1.2.3 Hydro-morphological Monitoring………….………….………….……….…………27 5.1.3 Monitoring Costs………….………….………….………….………….………….…….28 5.1.4 Monitoring results………….………….………….………….………….………….…...28 5.1.4.1 Chemical Status………….………….………….………….………….………………28 5.1.4.2 Ecological status………….………….………….………….………….………….….28 5.2 Ground water monitoring………….………….………….………….………….……. .30 6. Environmental objectives………….…………….………….………….…………………..34 7. Economic analysis………….………….………….………….………….………….…… .36 8. Programme of measures………….………….………….………….………….…………..38 9. Summary of strategies, programmes, plans and projects………….………….………….47 10. Summary of the first consultation………….………….………….………….…………..48 11. List of competent authorities………….………….………….………….………….…….49 12. Procedures for obtaining the technical reports………….………….………….…….…50 Glossary………….………….…………………….………….………….………….……….…51 References………….………….………….………….………….………….………….……...54 3 1. Acronyms Amelioration JSC Amelioration and Water Economy Open Joint Stock Company (Azerbaijan) AZERSU Azersu Joint Stock Company (Azerbaijan) Dashkasan FJSC Dashkasan filizsaflashdirma JSC (Dashkasan Mining and Processing Plant) EU European Union EPIRB Environmental Protection of International River Basin Project GEF Global Environment Facility HPP Hydroelectric power plant IWRM Integrated water resource management MENR Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (Azerbaijan) MPD Maximum Permissible Discharge NHD National Hydrometeorology Department (MENR) NPD National Policy Dialogue O&M Operation and Maintenance P&I Pressure and Impact PoM Program of Measures RBMP River Basin Management Plan TACIS Technical Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent States ToR Terms of Reference UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe USAID United States Agency for International Development WB Water Body WBR Water Body at Risk WFD Water Framework Directive (EU) WRSA Water Resources State Agency 4 1.CHARACTERIZATION OF THE RIVER BASIN DISTRICT Natural Conditions. Within the framework of EUWI+ project, the Kura River basin upper Mingachevir Reservoir Dam was selected as a pilot area for River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) development. Basin District is located in the area upper Mingachevir dam, which is an earth-fill embankment dam (the length of the dam is 1,550 meters, its width is 16m and height is 80 m) on the Kura River just north the city of Mingachevir in Azerbaijan. The dam serves the purposes of hydroelectric power production and water storage for irrigation. Mingachevir reservoir supplies water to the Upper Garabag and Upper Shirvan Channels which help irrigate about 1,000,000 ha (2,500,000 acres) of farmland in the country. The reservoir was built on a section of Kura River in 1953. The filling capacity of the reservoir is 83 m whereas the volume is 15.73 km³ and covering 605 km2. The length is 70 km and width is 18 km. Maximum depth is 75 m, for an average depth of 26 m. Main rivers feeding Mingachevir reservoir are transboundary ones with Georgia; rivers Ganikh(Alazan), Gabirri(Iori) and Kura. In general, Kura upper Mingachevir reservoir basin district within Azerbaijan Republic covers 2 sub basins: Central Kura(including Gabirri river ) sub basin located in Ganja-Gazakh economic region and Ganikh/Alazan sub basin located in Sheki –Zagatala economic region. As Central Kura and Gabirri river basins are located in Gazakh –Ganja Economic Region and Gabirri has no large b-asin area on the territory of Azerbaijan they are presented under one single sub basin in this report called Central-Kura sub basin. In the figure below is presented the map of Kura basin district upstream Mingachevir dam in Azerbaijan Figure 1.1. Map of Kura upstream of Mingachevir reservoirpilot area. 5 Climate. Though the climate of 2 sub basins doesn’t differ significantly from each other, but there are stil some differences because of impact of Great and Lesser Caucasus mountains, .Ganja- Gazakh region has dry and warm climate in the plains, temperate-warm and steppe-dry winter climate in the lowlands, and cold and humid climate in the mountain areas. The temperature in winter change from -5 °C to -20 °C (or lower in mountain areas) in the winter and from +20 °C to +35 °C (or higher in plain areas) in summer. The average annual temperature is 11,8-14,5 °C. The average temperature in July is 23-28°C , with absolute maximums of 37-42°C . Winters are warm: the average temperature in January is 0°C . The average number of absolute minimums makes a 6-10°C frost. The period without frost is 220-250 days. There is no long snow cover period. The average annual precipitation ranges between 250 and 550 mm. The amount of annual precipitation is 240-390 mm and precipitation increases with altitude. Ganikh/Alazan Basin belongs to the transition zone from sub-tropical continental climate to the humid climate. The average annual amount of the atmospheric precipitation varies between 300- 4500 mm in Georgia and 500-1300 mm on the Azerbaijan side. The average annual air temperature is from +9+100 C to +13+140 C, the minimum air temperature is 0.5 ºC in January, and the maximum temperature is at 23.6 ºC in July. 6 As in all mountain regions in this region as well temperature(monthly and annual) falls by elevation . Annual temperature is 14-160C in plain area, in high mountain zone it descends to 00C. The average annual relative air humidity is around 70% fluctuating over the season from 60 to 85%. Maximum annual precipitation falls on 2400-2600m (1400mm) height in the south slopes of Major Caucasus. Amount of precipitations changes between 900-1200mm in the south slope of high mountain zone. Precipitations in Ganigh-Ayrichay valley amounts to 550-850 mm. The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) is a comprehensive piece of legislation that sets out, inter alia, clear quality objectives for all waters in Europe. In order to make the implementation of the Directive, and the compliance checking of its quality objectives, operational, the concept of “water bodies” has been introduced as the key units to which a number of the Directive’s requirements are related. The Water Framework Directive ‘water environment’ includes rivers, lakes, transitional waters, groundwater and coastal waters out to 1 nautical mile (12 nautical miles for chemical status, i.e. for territorial waters).. Hydrological characteristics. The transboundary river Kura with its vast river system is the key water provider is the main water artery of Eastern Caucasus. The river flows through the territory of Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan Republics. Average height of Kura river watershed at the west part of the Azerbaijan Republic border equals to 1700 m; total area of the watershed makes up