Maria Girich, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Best Practices Analysis Department, commented for Rossiyskaya Gazeta on the causes of river and reservoir shallowing and their impact on the economy and the environment. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the economic damage caused by droughts in 2021 will increase by 63% compared to the
"The shallowing of rivers and generally other freshwater sources is occurring for a number of reasons. Firstly, is the heavy use of freshwater sources for agriculture — up to 70% of all freshwater use. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations notes that a person needs between 2,000 and 5,000 liters of water to produce daily food. The Volga, Ob, Yenisei and other major rivers are used to irrigate agricultural fields.
Secondly, it is the rivers pollution. According to the UN, more than 80% of wastewater is discharged into nature without treatment or reuse. This leads to the formation of pollutants like pathogens, phosphorus and nitrogen in wastewater, heavy metals and toxic chemicals in the waters. As a result, waters bloom and fauna die — also contributing to drying up. According to the State Duma, the Volga takes up to 40% of wastewater.
Thirdly, it is deforestation, changing river channels, dams and other human interference in nature. For example, forests can retain water in the soil. In addition, changes in river channels, shallowing also affects flood risks, as rivers lose their ability to hold the volume of water during floods," said Maria Girich.