ИСТИНА

Complex analysis of water-management problems is necessary for cost-effective and environmentally safe water use in transboundary river basins. Contradictions between bordering countries concerning water resources use and preservation are inevitable in transboundary river basins. These contradictions cause interstate tension, impede cost-effective and environmentally safe water use. This calls for selection of objective criteria for the situation assessment. Requirements for hydroecological safety control for each sort of water use may be stated as the number of conditions expressing limits of acceptable range of water object state parameters during estimated period. Some hydroecological restrictions are determined by natural conditions; variations of these conditions may be foreseen with some degree of credibility to avoid negative consequences. Other part of restrictions arises in the course of anthropogenic activities and is specified by water users. Hydrological restrictions of water use in the Irtysh basin are examined. This region is one of the most complicated in terms of water management for Russia and Kazakhstan. Examined restrictions include assessment of water supply deficit, characteristics of water objects contamination based on different water quality indexes, and assessment of negative effect of dangerous hydrological phenomena. Complex assessment of hydrological restrictions specified as “norm”, “risk” and “crisis” for given territory is made. Obtained results may be used for improvement of water management plans, setting of acceptable anthropogenic impact on water objects; determination of future requirements in water resources. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 14-17-00155).