Towards Restoring Flows into the Earth’s Arteries Why, What and How of ‘ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS’

1. Towards Restoring Flows into the Earth’s ArteriesWhy, What and How of ‘ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS’ Latha Anantha ( River Research Centre, Kerala) and Parineeta Dandekar ( South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and People, Pune)

2. How serious is this statement ? All hydro-electric projects on the Ganga could be asked to reduce their power generation — possibly up to 50 per cent of capacity — in an effort to provide a clean and continuous flow of the river's waters,. “We cannot shut down existing projects, but we are exploring the legality of reducing the capacity of operational hydro-electric plants,” she told The Hindu . “A clean Ganga is my top priority at present… we need to get extremely proactive.” If the proposal, which Ms. Natarajan plans to take to the Prime Minister, is implemented, the power generation of 17 operational projects could be affected. Apart from these, 14 projects are currently under construction, while 39 more are in the pipeline. “We are seeing if a way can be found under the EPA to impose conditions post-facto [on these projects], given that the Ganga is national river, and free flow is an environmental issue,” said Ms. Natarajan. First step towards restoring flows……

3. We are on the edge ! • Fragmented rivers with ‘no flows’ in between dams • deteriorating water quality • Food plain farming under threat • Fish catch and fisheries on the decline • Riparian ecosystems losing continuity and diversity • Flood plains cut off from flows • Flows not reaching the delta and seas • Salinity traveling deep inland • Basins are closing – Krishna , Cauvery

4. Indus • 1892 – 1990s – flows reduced from 1,85,000 MCM to 12,300 MCM per annum - Reduced flows into delta – shrimp, mangroves, fish productivity reduced , salinisation increased , delta farming affected - Salinity intrusion 64 km – 1.2 million acres farmland lost. Krishna • outfalls are falling over the years from 57 BCM before 1960s to almost nil in 2004 impacting the coastal ecosystems Yamuna • no freshwater flows downstream of Tajewala upto Etawah, where Chambal River meets Yamuna, at least during the lean months

5. Flows are affected - reasons are many • Dams - block, fragment and regulate flows – time, magnitude, duration and frequency of flows • Diversion of water – complete / partial diversion of river/ stream - • Deforestation - Degradation of the river catchment leading to reduced flows – Most of the rivers • Mining in the catchments – Goa • Sand mining on river bed – Western Ghats rivers • Pollution – Yamuna • Glacial melt – climate change - Gangotri

6. Where is the river ?

7. Flows and deforestation

8. Implications of flow regulation • Ecological – aquatic biodiversity, feeding and breeding and habitats affected , invasion of exotic and introduced species • Morphological – sand, silt and sediment deposit declining, channel • Hydraulic connectivity – lateral and horizontal connectivity disrupted • Social issues – deteriorating water quantity and quality leading to drinking water scarcity • Economic – loss from fisheries and farming to the river communities and the state • Spiritual and cultural needs - sacred groves, temple fish sanctuaries,

9. Paradise lost

10. Paradises to be lost !Large rivers passing through different geo – climatic zones would have different impacts

14. Why should a river flow from source to sea ? • Is a river just water flowing waste to sea • Is river an ecosystem in itself or a drain for carrying water • Does a river have any functions or is just a conduit -evolutionary and ecological functions • delivering rich nutrients to the sea • sustaining fisheries and livelihoods; • protecting wetlands with their capacity to filter out pollutants; • providing habitat for a rich diversity of aquatic life • safeguarding fertile deltas; • protecting water quality; • maintaining salt and sediment balances;

15. Flows deposit sand and silt

16. Gharats – flour mills run using flowing streams

17. Cultural and spiritual needs – prayer wheel

18. Enrich riparian ecosystems

19. Different Flows have different functions • E flows is not just allocating 20 % of lean season flows ! • High flows - important for channel maintenance, bird breeding, algae control, wetland flooding and maintenance of riparian vegetation. • Moderate flows - critical for cycling of organic matter from river banks and for fish migration • Low flows - necessary for fish spawning, water quality maintenance, the use of the river by local people, etc.

20. Monsoon vs Summer flows in a regulated tropical river May July

21. What is environmental flows ? Ideally - A river has right to all its flows In reality - Flows that should be left in the river • To allow the river to complete its hydrological cycle • To Carry out various ecological and evolutionary processes • To enable all beings including humans to benefit from the ecosystem services provided by the river and its flows • “Environmental Flows describe the quantity, quality and timing of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well being that depend on these ecosystems: Brisbane Declaration 2007”

22. What is the condition of the river we aspire for ? What is the best flow regime we are visualising ? What all ecological and human needs are to be satisfied ? Who will decide how much flows is required ? Time for communities and experts to start making assessment of flows required and challenge the official allocations

23. Implementation Challenges • Hydrologically and ecologically different river systems • Direct dependence on rivers very high • Lack of valid, pre dam hydrological and ecological data and even if present, deficient – lack of correlation with habitats • Political priorities is a decisive factor • Lack of awareness about flows – ecology – community linkages • Need to address beyond project level to river basin level • Norms for already dammed and developed rivers vs to be dammed rivers to be different • Institutional and policy challenges

24. Political priorities matter

25. Roles in implementation • Governments at national and sub national levels - through new policy frameworks - nature / river is also a ‘legitimate user of water’ and only if water is left for nature can human needs be fulfilled. • Research institutions and river experts - arriving at the optimum flows including trade offs, incentives and alternatives • Direct river dependent communities - learn from their wisdom and integrate their experiences while setting flows. • Voluntary organisations / NGOs/ community based organisations - catalyst or mediator

26. Enabling Policy and Legal Instruments • Ecosystem as ‘legitimate user of water’ • Accurate data base on hydrology and ecology • For pristine rivers – first determine flow regime – establish ‘first user rights’ of the river • Minimum distance between two dams – ecological criteria to be legally mandated • Protection of Free flowing rivers / stretches / tributaries legislation • Rivers as Heritage Sites or Icons ??

27. For dammed rivers - Reservoir Operations Strategy – bring within policy framework and frame legally enforceable rules • Accountability for non – compliance among dam developers, operators, • Participation of all users at all stages of e flows to be legally mandatory • For consistent under performance , social and ecological costs higher than gain – dam decommissioning to restore flow

28. Action strategy - Time to address dam impacts at river basin level • Challenge project level EIAs which exclude impacts of flow regulation • Challenge CIA assessments which are just cumulated EIAs of individual projects – Lohit, Dibang, Alaknanda - Bhagirathi • Demand basin studies • Demystify technical domain of e flows assessment • Pitch the campaign using e flows to save the entire river / tributary / sub basin with all the dams proposed

29. Why basin approach to flows is important – Teesta basin

30. Last word • Everyone loses if we fail to account for the ecosystem needs • Not a legitimization for more dams or consensus for dams in pipeline • Is a holistic approach to stall new dams • An Approach to restore degraded rivers with all complexities