An integrated approach to solving the floods problem in the Amur basin

Devastating floods in Russia most often occur in the Amur basin. To protect against these natural disasters, it is planned to build hydroelectric power stations, as their reservoirs are able to intercept part of the flood. Of the possible options for their placement, PJSC “RusHydro” chose the gates in the middle reaches of the Selemdzha and in the lower reaches of the Zeya. The article analyzes the environmental consequences of the construction of two hydroelectric power plants and provides arguments about the unacceptability of these projects. The authors put forward a reasonable opinion that alternative options are environmentally safe and at the same time no more expensive. Focusing on flood protection only through hydraulic engineering will not be able to provide an acceptable solution to the problem, therefore it is necessary to resort to other systemic methods.