Proposals on Improvement of Currently Active Methodical and Practical Approaches in the Sphere of Water Relations

The paper analyzes the current norms of the Russian Federation related to assessment of requirements to the water bodies’ use. With implementation of the preset methodical approaches to the Selenga River as a study case, we have considered the issues of enforcement and formulated the procedure of the water/economic factors accounting as a component of comprehensive accounting of impacts of the planned hydraulic facilities in the river basin on the territory of Mongolia. This approach involves comparison of the water use prescribed and actual parameters in respect of a single territory, detailing of the set annual volumes by months and territories necessary to assess adequately all environmental factors, as well as determination of the minimal requirements of water users and maximal admissible volumes of their satisfaction in respect of ecosystem parameters of the water body under study. Peculiarities and drawbacks of the adopted norms in the sphere of water relations have been revealed, this has allowed us to formulate proposals concerning improvement of the currently active norms and regulations, as well as coordinated decisions of the authorized Federal bodies. We propose to assess the current preset norms on the basis of inter-related analysis of the maximal permissible impact norms, limits of the water resources abstraction, actual consumption (according to the Rosgidromet data) and actual volumes of consumed water according to data of statistical observation. Application of the proposed approach to the Selenga River basin has enabled to conclude that the regulations concerning irrevocable water abstraction by months of low water content demand more detailed elaboration. These conclusions and proposals can be used for upgrading of methodical and practical approaches to water relations irrespective of planning of extreme changes of the water body hydrological characteristics. Implementation of the above proposals will enable to assess coordination and correctness of the approved indicators with the further aim to amend the norms of permissible impacts upon water bodies as this is stipulated by the current water legislation.