Flood risk assessment of Chervonograd mining-industrial district

Abstract

In the beginning of the century, few desktop review projects were carried out in Ukraine under the Global Water Partnership. In particular, interested in transboundary water research, there are some examples: Environmental Project Water Management of Kakhovka Reservoir and Lower Dnieper River (2000-2001) and Flood Management in Ukraine and Slovakia (2000-2003), and the 16th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum “Maritime and inland waterways” (2007). The afore-mentioned studies were mostly dedicated to the establishment of a dialog between the governments and stakeholders. So far, basically, there were no applied research in order to perform the risk assessment in particular transboundary areas. For instance, during the past decade, both the Chervonograd coal mining industrial district in the Western Bug river region (the border between Eastern Poland and Western Ukraine) and the mitigating environmental risks for water security have been paid a little attention. The Lviv-Volyn carboniferous basin (Western Ukraine) is one of three major coal mining regions in Ukraine). This paper describes the recent preliminary results of applying GIS technology for simulation of flood risks and associated hazards in the Lviv-Volyn coal basin. The contamination of drinking water (Be, Yb, Co and Pb) was considered as one of main hazards in territory of investigation. Using satellite optical imagery, flood modeling and the prediction of contamination were conducted in the areas of West Bug River and Vistula River. The input parameters were the following: the average water flow velocity 0.45-0.65 m/s, the width of the channel in the meadows 25-70 m, and the depth 1.1-1.7 m. The river runoff is adjusted by the dams of the Dobrotrivska thermal power station and the Sokalsky chemical factory. The water field is 6250 sq. km. The issue of increasing risk of wasting drinking water resources in the region with the estimated population of about 15 million inhabitants is essential.