Employees of the Department of Landscape Research and Landscape Planning of the Institute of Geography named after Academician G.A. Aliyeva of ANAS - Doctor of Philosophical Sciences in Geography Saida Zeynalova, Gulnar Hajiyeva and researcher Emil Jabrayilov were on a business trip for 4 days with the head of the department, PhD, associate professor Mirnukh Ismailov.

The goal was to study dynamic changes in the lower reaches of the Kura River in the natural and anthropogenic ecosystems of the river and adjacent areas. Researchers who visited this area found that the process of water depletion in the lower reaches of the river is directly related to the intensification of natural and anthropogenic impacts in the Kura basin.

Scientists argue that climate change and fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea have a serious impact on rivers and river ecosystems. An increase in air temperature in the country by 0.8-1.3°C and a decrease in precipitation increased the need for water, which led to the withdrawal of more water from the rivers of the Kura basin and the reduction of water in them, and sometimes drying up.

Sea level rise of more than 2.5 m from 1978 to 1995 caused sea water to fill the riverbed in the lower reaches of the river. At this time, salty sea water became heavy and rose along the bottom of the river bed.

Observations show that the current riverbed has halved compared to 1.5 years ago. Permanent shrubs have already formed in the drying areas of the field.

One of the main factors in the reduction of the waters of the Kura River is the unscientific, little-studied anthropogenic impact on the river basin. This includes:

Dehydration of old irrigated lands with the introduction of new irrigated lands on free areas;

Creation of artificial fish ponds on irrigated arable lands and pastures in the inner parts of the Kura-Araz lowland, despite the wide opportunities for fish farming in the Kura delta;

Reduction of water in the lower reaches of the river with the construction of mass reservoirs on the tributaries of the Kura;

Violation of the natural dynamic state of tributaries in sand and gravel pits due to interference with the riverbed;

Sharp changes in the hydrogeomorphological conditions of the riverbed as a result of increased erosion of the bottom of the rivers of the Kura basin as a result of anthropogenic impact;

Unauthorized water intake from rivers, etc.

All these reasons do not promise development of the situation in the coming years. Serious recommendations must be made now against water shortages that could occur during the hot season of 2022. The existing areas of the Kura River district will suffer from a lack of drinking water.