Peer-reviewed articles 17,970 +



Title: ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW REQUIREMENTS ACCORDING TO BULGARIAN WATER LAW

ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW REQUIREMENTS ACCORDING TO BULGARIAN WATER LAW
Donka Shopova; Olga Nitcheva
10.5593/sgem2022/3.1
1314-2704
English
22
3.1
•    Prof. DSc. Oleksandr Trofymchuk, UKRAINE 
•    Prof. Dr. hab. oec. Baiba Rivza, LATVIA
To maintain enough water in the river for ecosystems protection and river bed sanitation, water have to be allocated to ecosystems, as it is allocated to other users like domestic use and industry, agriculture and power generation. Water distribution is critical in dry periods. This requires proper determination of environmental flow (river ecosystem minimum permissible flow) by hydrology-based assessment methods. The purpose of this paper is to compare selected hydrological methods and to define the scientifically acceptable way to determine environmental flow within a section after the dam of some reservoirs in Bulgaria. As well as some critical reaches of the river network are determined where the necessary living environment for water communities is not provided. Here environmental flow is calculated using conventional hydrological methods: flow duration curve, the Q10% (average multiannual discharge) method and Q95% (yearly minimum monthly mean discharge with a 95% probability of occurrence) method, which are highlighted according to Bulgarian Water Law. In conclusion, the Q10% and Q95% methods allow obtaining environmental flow regimes on a monthly basis capable of adapting to the hydrological variability of the natural regime. The requirements and methods presented in the paper can be applied in the water management legislative process.
[1] European Water Framework Directive, 2000.
[2] Santourdjian, O., Ilcheva I., Assessment of the quantative aspect of integrated water management in Bulgaria, BULAQUA, No1, 2009.
[3] Guidance Document No. 31: Ecological flows in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, 2015.
[4] Water Law, Sofia, 2021 (in Bulgarian).
[5] Nitcheva O., Dobreva P., Milev B., Bournaski E. „Hydrology models application to solution of the river deviation problem during dam construction“. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Sofia, 2019, vol. 49 (2), pp. 190-200.
[6] Shopova D., Niagolov I., Nikolova K., Yordanova A., Water resource system balance of the Tundzha river basin and its connection whit the minimum required runoff, XXIV Conference of the Danube countries, Bled, Slovenia, 2008.
[7] Shopova D., An evaluation of water resource usage of the Tundzha river basin, Elenite, Bulgaria, International conference Ecology and Safety, 9, pp. 394-403, 2015
[8] Water use and water resource balance of the Tundzha river basin, IWP – BAS, Study report by contract with MoEW, Bulgaria, 2006.
[9] Ministry of Environment and Water (https://www.moew.government.bg).
[10] An update of the used data for the tributaries in the dams from Appendix. 1 of the Water Law on the needs of the monthly schedules for the use of their waters, Agreement with the Ministry of Environment and Water ,Task 21.2, 2017.
[11] Tharme R.E., A global perspective on environmental flow assessment: Emerging trends in the development and application of environmental flow methodologies for Rivers, River Research and Applications, 19, pp.397-441, 2003.
[12] Knights P., Environmental flows: lessons from an Australian experience. Proceedings of International Conference: Dialog on Water, Food and Environment, Hanoi, Vietnam, pp.18-22, 2002.
[13] Bunn S. E. and Arthington A. H., Basic principles and ecological consequences of altered flow regimes for aquatic biodiversity, Environmental Management, 30, pp. 492- 507, 2002.
[14] Acreman et al., Environmental flow from dams: the water framework directive, Engineering Sustainability, 162, pp. 13-22, 2009.
[15] Acreman, M. and Dunbar M. J., Defining environmental river flow requirements – a review, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 8, pp. 861-876, 2004.
This work was supported by the National Science Program "Environmental Protection and Reduction of Risks of Adverse Events and Natural Disasters", approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers № 577/17.08.2018. and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) of Bulgaria (Agreement № Д01- 279/03.12.2021) and by the National Research Programme “Smart crop production" approved by Decision of the Ministry Council №866/26.11.2020 г.
conference
Proceedings of 22nd International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2022
22nd International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2022, 04 - 10 July, 2022
Proceedings Paper
STEF92 Technology
International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM
SWS Scholarly Society; Acad Sci Czech Republ; Latvian Acad Sci; Polish Acad Sci; Serbian Acad Sci and Arts; Natl Acad Sci Ukraine; Natl Acad Sci Armenia; Sci Council Japan; European Acad Sci, Arts and Letters; Acad Fine Arts Zagreb Croatia; Croatian Acad Sci and Arts; Acad Sci Moldova; Montenegrin Acad Sci and Arts; Georgian Acad Sci; Acad Fine Arts and Design Bratislava; Turkish Acad Sci.
65-72
04 - 10 July, 2022
website
8527
environmental flows, hydrological methods, water resources, natural flow regime