The training on the Method of Assessment of Self-Purification Capacity of Rivers is underway, organized by the ASPIRED Project for the staff of the Ministry of Environment and academic sector representatives who will be using the Method in their work.
During the 8-day course, the training participants will be introduced to the main – hydro-biological, hydro-chemical, and hydro-morphological components comprising the Method and the analysis conducted by the working group during the elaboration of the Method. The training focuses on the impact and the role of the hydro-biological, hydro-chemical and hydro-morphological parameters in the self-purification potential of the river. During the practical part, the participants will make assessments and test each component on the examples of Qasakh and Akhuryan rivers. It is anticipated that by the end of the course trainees will be able to master the Excel tool for the automatic assessment of the hydro-morphological, hydro-biological, and hydro-chemical data determining the rivers’ self-purification capacity and generate a single index from separate hydro-morphological, chemical and biological indexes.
The Method of Assessment of Self-Purification Capacity of Rivers was elaborated by the ASPIRED Project by the request of the Ministry of Environment and is included into the five-year Action Plan of the Government with a specific deadline for its implementation.
The method considers the water eco-system as a uniform body, the performance of which is affected by a complexity of factors. “Our methodology allows us assessing the impact of various contamination sources on rivers and the natural ability of rivers to neutralize this pollution. This methodology is universal as it gives an opportunity to assess not only the impact of settlements but also the influence of mining, or various industrial, agricultural pollution sources and how the eco-system overcomes this in a natural way,” – Liana Margaryan, ASPIRED Project Water Quality Expert.
