FLOWING FOREVER
Right to flow
• Rivers have the right to flow uninteruppted
• First preference shall be to protect all
rivers from any abuse including diversion
and abstraction
• Environmental flows are important from
water planning perspective
• Assumes that there is some ‘spare’ water
in rivers that can be used without
WHY DO WE NEED FLOWS?
•
Goods and Services of River Ecosystems
Flow variability is important
Flows decide the geomorphology
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– Second level
– Third level
• Fourth level
– Fifth level
E-Flows
" Environmental Flows are the flows required
for the maintenance of the ecological integrity
of rivers, their associated ecosystems and the
goods and services provided by them. "
WWF’s work on E-flows
• WWF’s LGP aimed to develop a “holistic” approach to
addressing issues at a river basin level
• Global partners increasingly focusing on E-flows
which was a key issue for UG
• Understanding on E-flows (both internally and
externally) needed to be enhanced
• Practical methodologies for calculating e-flows for
Indian rivers were not available
• Capacity to design and develop E-Flow approaches
for Indian rivers could be developed
Key challenges:
1. Technical: Over 200 methodologies. Which suits the best? How to captu
2. Capacity: Who will carry out the assessment? Who will validate?
Evolution
Originally
Ecology
Hydrology
Source: Prof Jay O’ Keffee, Rhodes University
Then
Social aspects
Human well-being
Hydrology
Ecology
Hydraulics
Geomorphology
Water quality
Source: Prof Jay O’ Keffee, Rhodes University
Now
IWRM
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Social aspects
Human well-being
Stakeholder participation
Economic analysis
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Hydrology
Ecology
Hydraulics
Geomorphology
Water quality
Source: Prof Jay O’ Keffee, Rhodes University
Environmental Flows Assessment
• Who: Social and a scientific process
• No one correct E-flows regime for rivers
•
Depends on what
people want from a river
Where do we begin?
Ask what we want our river to be?
– Defining current state and future desired state
are important
– A free flowing river or a tiny rivulet or a dry
stretch of land
Water for ecology
• Getting the priorities right-national and state
water policies. Need to work towards this
can National Water Law
eeds of individuals. The ecological reserve relates to the water required to protect th
Australlia
ments for environment
Environmental Flows Assessment
•
E-Flows are not
level for rivers
•
E-flows are multi dimensional.
•
just about establishing a ‘minimum’ flow
–
Socio-cultural-religious angle
–
Livelihood angle
–
Hyrology, hydraulic, fluvial geomorphology
–
Biodiversity and conservation
Has to be driven by principles of participation and stakeholder
Environmental Flows Assessment
• Several methodologies exist. BBM is one of
them.
• Need to understand how to adapt BBM to
different riverine ecosystems. Blanket
approach may not work. Need to be cautious
about misuse of BBM.
• Need for each one of us to take a tributary
which is impacted and do a quick assessment
of ecological requirements. Data will be a
Environmental Flows Assessment
• Not a one time flow; Regime of flows
• Assess E-flows using a holistic approach:
hydrology, hydraulics, fluvial geomorphology, water
quality, socio-cultural-spiritual, biodiversity and livelihood
• Need to be an integral part of the EIA &
CIA
– Bottoms up-project, sub-basin to basin level;
– Existing projects
– Trade-off analysis
Environmental Flows Assessment
• Implementation & monitoring
– Joint monitoring
– Whether required releases are being made
– Impacts
• Adaptive process needed in E-flows assessment and
implementation
• The EF process should be embedded in a framework of
inclusive stakeholder understanding and participation,