This project is implemented by a consortiumled by Hulla & Co. Human Dynamics KG

A Z E R B A I J A N

Central Kura Basin District KEY WATER ISSUES

The project is funded by the European Union

E P I R BEnvironmental Protection of International River Basins

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The EnvironmentalProtection of International

River Basins (EPIRB)project aims to improve the

quality of water intransboundary river basins

in the wider Black Searegion and Belarus,

including Azerbaijan. One ofthe specific objectives is to

improve technicalcapacities by developingriver basin management

plans (RBMPs) in selectedpilot river basins, accordingto the requirements of the

EU Water FrameworkDirective (WFD). One of theselected pilot basins is theCentral Kura basin district,

located in the Ganja-GazakhEconomic Region inwestern Azerbaijan.

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The Water Framework Directiveand river basin management plansOne of the requirements of the WFD is the achievement andpreservation of good water status by managing waters in naturalunits — that is, in river basins.

River basin planning follows a structured approach: finding outfacts, deciding on necessary actions, making a management plan,and putting the plan into practice. An important first step is toidentify significant water management issues so that appropriatesolutions and measures can be developed.

The impacts of human activities Human activities can lead to serious problems in terms of bothwater quality and quantity. The most common water-relatedproblems are pollution and the effects of physical modificationsto rivers and lakes.

Water pollution can arise from two types of sources: pointsources, such as discharges from industrial facilities andwastewater treatment plants; and diffuse sources, such as land-use activities, including agriculture.

Hydromorphological alterations include the physical modificationof waterways, such as engineered modifications to the naturalstructure or flow of rivers in order to make particular use of them.Such modifications might include land drainage, the constructionof flood defences, or the damming of rivers to provide storage forpower generation.

Another potential problem is excessive water abstraction, whichcan reduce river flow and even cause rivers and lakes to dry up.

Good water statusis achieved when pollution is

controlled and there is

sufficient flow for ecosystems

to function and survive.

A river basin is the land

that water flows across or

under on its way to a river. The

basin sends all the water that

falls within it to a central river

or estuary.

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Central Kura Pilot District - AZ

Larger Central Kura District

Russian Federation

Georgia

TurkeyArmenia

Azerbaijan

Iran

CENTRAL KURA BASIN DISTRICT – Profile

TOTAL AREA6,188.10 km2

LOCATIONGanja-Gazakh Economic Region,western Azerbaijan

CHARACTERISTICSFour main rivers (Ganjachay,Shamkirchay, Tovuzchay andAgstafachay); one national park; twostate nature reserves; and four statenature sanctuaries.

WATER USE Water in the pilot basin is used mainly by farms for irrigation and by households for domestic needs. The volume of water abstracted in the pilot river basin was about1.072 million m3 in 2012, of which221.5 million m3 were lost duringtransportation.

DID YOU KNOW?Lake Goygol (the “Blue Lake”), in theGoygol National Park, is the biggestlake in the area and one of the mostbeautiful in Azerbaijan.

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Water pollutionis the contamination ofsurface waters andgroundwater with harmfulsubstances, causing adegradation in water quality.

Central Kura basin district – Water challengesPOLLUTION FROM PARTIALLY TREATED OR UNTREATED WASTEWATER What’s causing the problem? In big cities, sewerage systems typically date back to the 1970sand are either insufficient to serve the present-day population, orno longer in operation. Most of the wastewater collectionsystem is outdated and needs to be replaced. Where there isno sewerage system, wastewater is discharged directly to thesoil through septic tanks. Currently new wastewater treatmentplants are being constructed for Gazakh, Tovuz and otherdistricts. Industrial enterprises and ore mines in the pilot areaalso discharge water into surface water bodies.

How does it affect water status?The discharging of untreated wastewater results in a decreasein the level of dissolved oxygen and an increase in the level ofnutrients in surface waters. This causes changes in thecomposition and condition of freshwater ecosystems. In somecases, such as the Shamkirchay River sub-basin, either noneor very few macro-invertebrates were found. In addition, wheresewerage systems are lacking, discharges to the soil throughseptic tanks pose a threat to groundwater quality. Effluentsfrom industrial and mining sites cause pollution with heavymetals and suspended solids.

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POLLUTION FROM AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIONWhat’s causing the problem?Between 1960 and 1985, fertilisers and pesticides were applied tothe soil in vast amounts every year, regardless of necessity. In thelast 10 years, there has been an annual increase in the area usedfor crop production. In 2012, in the Ganja-Gazakh Economic Region,48.1 percent of agricultural yields comprised grains and legumes.In the same year, there were 366,100 head of long-horned cattle.

How does it affect water status?Chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus that are used duringagricultural activities are washed into streams and rivers resultingin an increase in nutrients. This causes algae to grow faster thanecosystems can handle and affects water quality and biologicaloxygen demand, also endangering the quality of groundwater.

POLLUTION FROM SOLID WASTE DISPOSALWhat’s causing the problem?In many districts, data related to generated waste are not available.Waste is simply dumped at unfenced, uncovered sites with nocontrols. In the city of Ganja, between 107,000 and 110,000 tonnesof waste are generated, 55 percent of which is organic waste.

How does it affect water status?Run-off from landfills, and water that leaches into the soil, result inorganic pollution and high concentrations of hazardous substances.

Most of the wastethat ends up in rivers has beendisposed of on land. Buyingreusable products and avoidingexcess packaging can helpreduce the amount of wasteproduced and thus protectrivers from pollution.

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HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS AND WATER ABSTRACTION What’s causing the problem? The mass construction of water reservoirs in Azerbaijan began in the 1950s, mainly for irrigation purposes. There are six mainwater reservoirs in the area and several are planned or underconstruction. The water resources of the Ganjachay River areused for irrigation via more than 10 canals and other facilities. Asa consequence of high run-off, flooding has become a cause ofconcern in this river basin. Several engineering solutions havebeen introduced and more are planned for flood risk reduction.The bed of the Ganjachay River in the village of Topalhasanliwas excessively wide, and the flow divided into severalbranches. Alignment work was carried out and most of the flowis now contained within a single bed in low-water season.

How does it affect water status?The construction of reservoirs and the abstraction of water forirrigation lead to a significant reduction in water flow. The watertemperature also changes, causing increased algae growth.This results in degraded habitats, where aquatic biota areunable to survive. In summer months there is no waterdownstream, even in those rivers without reservoirs, includingthe Goranchay and Ganjachay, as the water is used for a varietyof purposes, especially the irrigation of croplands.Infrastructure built for flood risk management, includingengineering work to strengthen river banks, has modified waterbodies, causing changes to ecosystems.

Hydromorphologycombines study of thehydrological regime and ofmorphological conditions. Itdeals with the quantity anddynamics of water flow, as wellas the shape and boundaries ofa particular water body.

The European Union is the world's largest donor of official development assistance. The European Commission’s Directorate-General for European NeighbourhoodPolicy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) manages the majority of the Union’s financial and technical assistance to the neighbourhood and enlargementcountries. By implementing assistance actions in Europe's eastern and southern neighbourhood, DG NEAR supports reform and democratic consolidation, andstrengthens prosperity, stability and security around Europe. DG NEAR helps to promote EU values, policies and interests in this region, and contributes todeveloping the special relationship of the EU with its neighbouring countries.

Legal notice: This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility ofthe Human Dynamics Consortium implementing the project and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.© 2015 – Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe

www.blacksea-riverbasins.net

This publication summarises a review of thepressures and impacts on the water bodiesof the Central Kura basin district, preparedin the framework of the EPIRB project. Thefull pressure-impact analysis: “Developmentof the river basin management plan for aselected pilot basin in Azerbaijan (theCentral Kura basin district)” is available athttp://blacksea-riverbasins.net/en/pilot-basins/central-kura-basin-ganjachay-shamkirchai-tovuzchay-agstafachay

EPIRB Project Regional Office in KyivKyiv 01034, UkraineVolodymyrska Street 48a, suite 23Tel.: +380 44 360 87 75

EPIRB Project Regional Office in TbilisiTbilisi 0102, Georgia5 Marjanishvili Street, office 402Tel.: +995 32 236 8877

Editors: Imola Koszta ● Jovanka IgnjatovicContributor: Rafig VerdiyevDesign and layout: Tricia BarnaCopyediting and proofreading: Rachel HidegPhotographs: EPIRB partners ●Rafig Verdiyev ● IstockPublisher: The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe