Environmental Flows

1. Environmental Flows
Ravi Chopra and Chicu Lokgariwar
River Simen, Source: India Water Portal

2. Giri, Himachal Pradesh

3. The Kshipra at Ujjain, Source: Makarand Purohit, India Water Portal

4. Ranganadi , Arunachal Pradesh

5. The ‘10 percent’
Bhagirathi before the dam
Bhagirathi downstream of
Maneri Bhali I.
Source: Peoples’ Science Institute

6. ‘Environmental FlowS’
Brisbane Declaration
(2007):
“Environmental Flows
describe the quantity,
quality and timing of
water flows
required to sustain fresh
water and estuarine
ecosystems
and the human livelihoods
and well-being that
depend on these

7. King, J. M., Tharme, R. E., & De Villiers, M. S. (2000). Environmental flow assessments for rivers:
manual for the Building Block Methodology (p. 340). Pretoria: Water Research Commission.

8. Desired flow levels for cultural needs at Kachla Ghat (EF2). Top-levels for maintenance
and drought years at the cross-section.
Source:Lokgariwar C., Chopra R., Smakhtin V., Bharati L. & O’Keeffe J. (2013)
1m depth at banks
allows bathing,
also offers depth
reqd for dolphins
Floods replenish
fields + wetlands

9. Comparison of desired flow levels for all
groups at Chaubari, Ramganga
Motivation:

Shelter for fish &
Invertebrates

Cremation at
banks

Longitudinal
connectivity
Motivation:

Flows reach
vegetation line

Annual inundation
of fields

Lateral connectivity

10. Cultural flow requirements vs naturalised
flows at EF sites for maintenance years
Chicu Lokgariwar, Ravi Chopra, Vladimir Smakhtin, Luna Bharati & Jay O’Keeffe , Water International (2013): Including cultural water
requirements in environmental flow assessment: an example from the upper Ganga River, India, Water International, DOI:
10.1080/02508060.2013.863684