IMPACT OF THE EXTRACTION OF INERT MATERIALS FROM RIVERBEDS ON ECOLOGICAL BALANCE

Extraction and production of inert materials from riverbeds has recently resulted in some serious environmental problems. This is because river beds are exploited by quarries without considering the specific features and material resources of rivers, material carrying capacity of rivers, chemical and mineralogical composition of inert materials and the related impacts made on the environment. Scientific and practical findings of monitoring works, conducted in sand and gravel quarries of river beds present in the territory of Azerbaijan, indicate that unregulated exploitation of quarries violates ecological balance, which in turn causes a number of problems. Solution of these problems requires thorough investigating, based on which influential measures should be undertaken.