Russia’s water resources are under close government attention. Today’s comprehensive water reservoir management system combines proven effective methodologies and innovative technologies. This ensures a balance between energy, the environment, and society’s needs, as explained in BRICS Business Magazine by Dmitry Kirillov, Head of the Federal Agency for Water Resources.
In Soviet times, construction of a chain of hydroelectric power plants on major rivers for economic development became a pivotal moment in the state’s water resource management. This not only changed the external appearance of water bodies, creating cascades of reservoirs, but also entailed a need for an integrated approach to their regulation. It became mandatory to provide for public water supply, support industrial and agricultural sectors, develop fisheries, and organize navigation. The main reservoir operation regulator today is the Federal Agency for Water Resources (Rosvodresursy). The management system involves 32 interdepartmental working groups coordinating collaboration between various departments and services. Their activities aim at a comprehensive approach to water resource regulation, including all necessary aspects of water use.
Integrated water resource management in the Russian Federation is based on the basin principle. The primary management unit is the river basin as a system with established ecological, social, and economic interconnections. This principle allows for comprehensive water resource management within the basin, irrespective of administrative-territorial unit boundaries (municipalities, regions, republics, territories, etc.) within its area. Individual river basins are combined into basin districts: according to Article 28 of the Water Code of the Russian Federation, there are 20 of these in the country. Water resource management in these districts is coordinated by basin councils established by decision of Federal Water Resources Agency. The activities of the interdepartmental working groups on reservoir regulation are closely linked to the work of the basin councils.
The basin principle as the foundation for integrated water resource management is recognized as effective worldwide and is supported by the United Nations on the basis of transboundary cooperation (target indicator of Goal 6.5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals).
A demonstrative example of effective international cooperation in managing the water resources of transboundary basins is the flood protection collaboration with the People’s Republic of China. Over the years of cooperation, effective mechanisms have been developed for emergency response and flood protection of territories. Similar practices have been implemented in cooperation with Kazakhstan.
Even so, regulating water levels is only part of the work to ensure the effective reservoir operation. Equally important is technical maintenance and prevention of water body degradation. For this purpose, the surfaces of reservoirs are regularly cleared of aquatic vegetation and woody debris. At a number of sites, projects involving comprehensive ecological rehabilitation of the most problematic areas are being implemented, with not only the water body surface being cleaned but also hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of bottom sediments being extracted, as, for example, at the Sudzhenskoye or Ivankovskoye reservoirs. Such measures help maintain the facilities in optimal condition and enhance their recreational appeal.
So, modern reservoir management is a complex system requiring constant improvement of regulation methods, safety, and technical maintenance to ensure reliable operation of the entire country’s hydropower system.
The quality of managing reservoir operations directly affects key areas of activity of the Federal Agency for Water Resources, namely: uninterrupted water supply for the population and economic sectors, preservation of water body ecology, and flood protection of residents and infrastructure. The agency’s specialists regularly introduce new work methods, including digitalization and modelling technologies, even utilizing artificial intelligence.
Currently, a comprehensive automated reservoir management system consisting of several modules is under development. Its implementation will permit more prompt responses to changes in the water management situation and will significantly simplify decision-making regarding establishment of reservoir operating regimes.
The initial, informational module “Reservoir Monitoring” includes a large array of data, on the basis of which, according to a “traffic light” principle, indicators will be formed of the water management situation and potential risks displayed. The analysis will be based on 200 different parameters, such as: long-term observation series, forecast information, the ratio of forecast and actual data, and so on. In the near future, a pilot module will be launched. Information on the restrictions set by current documents governing the water regime of reservoirs has already been loaded into the system.
After the database launch, it will be supplemented with information from constituent entities regarding actual restrictions and risks: levels of uninterrupted operation of water intakes and development of areas adjacent to reservoirs.
In parallel, by the end of the current year, two more modules will be tested at specific reservoirs. The first of these, “Reservoir Management”, will allow for automatic calculations to enable rationally meeting the socio-economic water needs of territories and develop the optimal reservoir operating regimes, taking into account the potential risk analysis. This will be a universal module making it possible to regulate most reservoirs, with the exception of complex cascade facilities.
The next module is more complex, being created using AI. It will enable regulation of complex cascade systems and creation of individual programmes for specific reservoirs. This will require close joint work between various departments and all regions on constantly updating available data.
Modern water resource management in Russia implies a transition from manual to digital control. Introduction of a comprehensive automated reservoir management system marks a qualitative leap in water system regulation. This is not merely a technological upgrade, it is a new stage in balancing economic interests, environmental safety, societal needs, and the speed and quality of decision-making under today’s conditions.
Successful implementation of the basin management principle, supported by interdepartmental cooperation and international experience, allows us to speak about forming an integrated national water management system and the Russian system’s ability to adapt to current and new challenges.
