Ecology & Safety, Volume 10, 2016

Abstract: Water abstracted from rivers or groundwater sources is widely used and its volume is determined by the demand of the different consumers and its supply – by the available water resources. The irregularly distributed in time and space water abstractions with respect to resources, their pressure on the environment and acquired water rights in terms of the dynamics of socio-economic and climatic conditions, and the requirements of the European regulations, bring the necessity for reformation of the water sector. At present the efforts of the European Commission and the member-states are aimed at elaborating strategies, national and regional river basin management plans (RBMPs). In the new RBMPs still missing assessment of the quantitative status of surface water bodies and ecological flow, especially in the sections below dams and complex water reservoirs, will provoke negative remarks of EC and may block some commitments. From management point of view, this affects the objectivity of the licensing regime in Bulgaria while estimating the new water applications and reevaluating the licenses in force. In this regard, the report presents a methodology for assessment and mapping of water resources availability, vulnerability (reliability) of water use at different climate or drought scenarios, and modeling of water rights by the SIMYL simulation programme. The applicability of the approach is proved by a number of experimental studies of NIMH. The balanced water allocation will guarantee the water abstraction sustainability and investments and contribute to ecosystems protection. This is a step forward to the realization of the Catchment abstraction management strategies (САМS), drought management plans and Development of Hydro-melioration in Bulgaria. Including in the so-called “regulated rivers” and water bodies (WBs technical pressure, WBs lake – large reservoirs and WBs indefinite resource depending on the technological flow from a dam or derivation).