RECENT CHANGES IN THE SEDIMENT LOADS OF THE BAIKAL’S RIVERS: A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE OF CONTRIBUTION FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES
The decrease of sediment runoff observed now in main rivers of Lake Baikal is due both to climatic changes and to anthropogenic activities. However, the processes of sediment runoff response to climate changes remain still insufficiently studied. Consequently, their integrated assessment lack. The authors attempt for the first time to difference climatic and anthropogenic factors and to assess their influence onto sediment runoff in main Lake Baikal’s rivers. In a whole, due to environmental changes, the sediment runoff of considered rivers changed from 2830∙103 tons/year (1946–1973) to 1324∙103 tons/year (1974–2011). The contribution of climatic factor in change of rivers sediment runoff is assesses as 36–57 %, and of anthropogenic one – as 43–64 %. The results of the study are useful both for rational management of water resources in Lake Baikal basin and for further studies, for quantitative assessment and for the forecast of influence of environmental changes to lacustrine-riverine systems in similar climatic zones.