Integrated analysis of problems connected with water supply of the Crimean Peninsula

The issues of water supply of Crimea are the critical part of life of society for many centuries. Deficiency of water dictated searching the ways of solving the problem, namely, seeking new technologies and methods of water saving. It is also necessary to find an integrated approach to this problem with regard to the requirements of all water consumers and to examine thoroughly all sources of water supply. The authors analyzed the water balance components—atmospheric precipitation, storm flow and groundwater flow—in 67 catch basins, determined the dependence of the components on various geological and physical geographical factors, and implemented the multiple regression analysis of the dependences. The volumes of atmospheric precipitations, subjected to observations in Crimea for over 150 years, were updated. Each Crimean catch basin has its own peculiarities and needs special mapping. The landscape structure also has influence on the ratio of all other components of the water balance, in particular, surface and underground flows, transpiration and evaporation. It is emphasized that it is necessary to adhere to the policy of water saving and to reject the existing expensive water supply system that matured for the last 50 years. It is required to study comprehensively conditions of water use subjects in the test region, and to calculate accurately the available water resources in order to balance them with the demands of the subjects. It also advised to implement an integrated approach to the analysis of routes of water supply for the region with regard to the balance attained between the reserves and their demand. It is essential to carry out scrupulous measurements and calculations of all water balance components in the region, and all elements of the Crimean hydrological system. This is especially necessary as the volumes of water resources averagely conform with the needs of the Crimean water users, and only go beyond the limits in some periods of time.