Reducing the Anthropogenic Impact of Natural Risks on Small Rivers in the South of Russia

Abstract

The rapid development of society, increase in the population, land urbanization, growth of human economic activity contribute to the involvement in economic turnover of an increasing number of natural resources, the main part of which is water. Along with the depletion of water bodies, their pollution is also intensively occurring. The analysis of ecological state of basins of small rivers in the South of Russia shows a constant increase in the emission of pollutants into their channels. On the territory of Rostov region there are 5.572 rivers with a total length of 36.064 km. 90 % of rivers of Rostov region are less than 10 km long. On average, a local runoff in the amount of 3.36 billion m3 is formed on the territory of Rostov region per year. Increased anthropogenic activity leads to the disruption of functioning and stability of natural systems, which has a significant impact on small rivers, which are the most common elements of the hydrographic network. About 30 % of urban and about 90 % of rural population live in catchments of small rivers, while the greatest density is observed in the immediate vicinity of water banks. Small rivers significantly affect the hydrological, biological and biochemical regime of landscapes, maintaining the balance and redistribution of moisture and are important for water supply of the population.

Anthropogenic Land Use and Land Cover Change as Potential Drivers of Sediment Sources in the Upper Crocodile River, North West Province, South Africa

“…Boretti and Rosa [ 5 ] reiterate that the global water demand will increase significantly in the next few decades in all the three components, including agriculture, industry and domestic usage. This situation is likely to constrain the rivers in their roles as regulators of the landscape and moisture redistribution and in maintaining biological diversity and economic operations [ 6 ]. Agricultural intensification, mining operations, urbanization, increased construction levels and rapid population growth are major contemporary anthropogenic drivers that have led to irreversible changes in landscape structures, which generate enormous impacts on rivers, causing the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and habitats [ 7 ].…”