Environmental Protection of International River Basins Project Contract No. 2011/279-666 This project is funded by A project implemented by a Consortium The European Union led by Hulla & Co. Human Dynamics KG Draft River Basin Management Plan RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT OF AZERBAIJAN (DRAFT) Prepared by a consortium led by SADIG LLC in cooperation with Azeri branch of REC Caucasus, HSRI and PERIOD LLC Baku, March 2015 1 Contents ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 6 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ................................................................................... 17 1.1 BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE RBMP .............................................................................. 17 1.2 CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT .................................................................................... 18 1.3 CONTENT OF DRAFT CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT RBMP ....................................... 19 2. THE CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT CHARACTERISATION ...................................... 21 2.1. NATURAL CONDITIONS ................................................................................................... 21 2.2. DELINEATION OF SURFACE WATER BODIES ..................................................................... 21 2.2.1 Summary of the methodology for identifying surface water bodies ................................. 22 2.2.2. Identification and delineation of Surface Water Bodies .................................................. 23 2.2.3. Summary of delineated surface water bodies typology .................................................. 24 2.2.4. Identification of Heavily Modified Surface Water Bodies .............................................. 25 2.2.5. Identification of Artificial Surface Water Bodies ........................................................... 26 2.3. PRELIMINARY DELINEATED GROUNDWATER BODIES ...................................................... 29 3. SIGNIFICANT PRESSURES AND POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON WATER STATUS .................. 33 3.1.M ETHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES ................................................................. 33 3.2.H UMAN ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................................... 34 3.2.1.Population and economic activities ................................................................................... 34 3.2.2.Industry and mining .......................................................................................................... 35 3.2.3.Agriculture ........................................................................................................................ 36 3.2.4. Water uses ........................................................................................................................ 37 3.2.5 Waste water discharges ..................................................................................................... 41 3.2.6. Flood protection ............................................................................................................... 44 3.2.7. Hydropower generation .................................................................................................... 45 3.2.8. Solid waste disposal ......................................................................................................... 46 3.2.9. Automobile transport ........................................................................................................ 47 3.2.10 . Tourism ......................................................................................................................... 47 3.3. WATER MANAGEMENT ISSUES ....................................................................................... 47 3.4. PRESSURES AND IMPACTS ON SURFACE WATERS ............................................................. 48 3.4.1. Surface Water Pollution Pressures and Impacts ............................................................... 49 3.4.2. Hydromporphological Pressures and Impacts .................................................................. 51 3.4.3. Climate change and its impact to water resources ........................................................... 53 3.5. PRESSURE AND IMPACT ON GROUND WATERS ................................................................. 55 3.5.1. Ground Water quality in Central Kura Basin District .................................................. 55 3.5.2. Anthropogenic loads and impacts to ground waters ........................................................ 57 3.6. RISK ASSESSMENT AND IDENTIFICATION OF WATER BODIES AT RISK ............................ 60 3.6.1. Identification of the surface water bodies into risk categories in the Central Kura Basin District ........................................................................................................................................ 60 3.6.2. Status of the Groundwater Bodies in the Central Kura Basin District ........................... 73 4. PROTECTED AREAS ................................................................................................................... 75 4.1. MAIN PROTECTED AREAS IN THE CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT ................................ 75 4.2. ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES FOR PROTECTED AREAS ................................................... 75 4.3. PROGRAMS FOR PROTECTED AREAS ................................................................................ 76 2 5. MONITORING PROGRAMME for SWB and GWBs IN THE CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT .......................................................................................................................................... 79 5.1. MONITORING PROGRAMME FOR SWB S ........................................................................... 79 5.1.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 79 5.1.2. Surveillance Monitoring Programme of Surface Waters ................................................ 79 5.1.3 Operational Monitoring of Surface Waters ....................................................................... 81 5.1.4 Investigative monitoring ................................................................................................... 83 5.1.5 Frequency of monitoring programme ............................................................................... 83 5.1.6 Quality Control and Quality Assurance ........................................................................... 83 5.1.7 Ecological Status Assessment .......................................................................................... 84 5.1.8 Chemical Status Assessment ............................................................................................. 85 5.2 PROGRAMM OF MONITORING FRO GWB S........................................................................ 85 5.2.1 Existing Groundwater Monitoring network ...................................................................... 85 5.2.2 Proposed monitoring programme ...................................................................................... 87 5.2.3 Quantitative monitoring .................................................................................................... 87 5.2.4. Surveillance monitoring ................................................................................................... 87 5.2.5. Operational monitoring .................................................................................................... 88 5.2.6 Other monitoring types ...................................................................................................... 88 6. ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 89 6.1 ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES IN ACCORDANCE WITH EU WFD .................................... 89 6.2. EXEMPTIONS ACCORDING TO WFD ................................................................................ 89 6.3. SETTING OF ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES FOR WB S IN CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT 90 7. PROGRAM OF MEASURES ........................................................................................................ 92 7.1. METHODOLOGY TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS OF MEASURES ................................................ 92 7.1.1.Basic Measures .................................................................................................................. 92 7.1.2. Supplementary Measures .............................................................................................. 93 7.1.3. Programme of Measures proposed in EPIRB project Guidance Document on the Development of Programme of Measures and the Achievement of Environmental Objectives According to the EU WFD. ........................................................................................................ 94 7.2 NATIONAL LEGISLATION .................................................................................................. 94 7.3 Ongoing government programs related to water resources management .................................... 96 7.3.1 National and regional development programs .................................................................. 96 7.3.2. National Water supply and Sanitation Program