Your search found 2 records
1 Eriyagama, Nishadi; Jinapala, K. 2014. Developing tools to link environmental flows science and its practice in Sri Lanka. In Castellarin, A.; Ceola, S.; Toth, E.; Montanari, A. (Eds.). Evolving water resources systems: understanding, predicting and managing water-society interactions: proceedings of the 6th IAHS-EGU International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management, Bologna, Italy, 4-6 June 2014. Wallingford, UK: International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS). pp.204-209.
Environmental flows ; Equipment ; Water resources ; Water demand ; Ecosystems ; Rivers ; Developing countries / Sri Lanka / Mahaweli River / Ullapane / Peradeniya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046587)
(1.14 MB)
The term “Environmental Flows (EF)” may be defined as “the quantity, timing and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on these ecosystems”. It may be regarded as “water for nature” or “environmental demand” similar to crop water requirements, industrial or domestic water demand. The practice of EF is still limited to a few developed countries such as Australia, South Africa and the UK. In many developing countries EF is rarely considered in water resources planning and is often deemed “unimportant.” Sri Lanka, being a developing country, is no exception to this general rule. Although the country underwent an extensive irrigation/water resources development phase during the 1960s through to the 1980s, the concept of EF was hardly considered. However, as Sri Lanka’s water resources are being exploited more and more for human usage, ecologists, water practitioners and policymakers alike have realized the importance of EF in sustaining not only freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, but also their services to humans. Hence estimation of EF has been made mandatory in environmental impact assessments (EIAs) of all large development projects involving river regulation/water abstraction. Considering EF is especially vital under the rapid urbanization and infrastructure development phase that dawned after the end of the war in the North and the East of the country in 2009. This paper details simple tools (including a software package which is under development) and methods that may be used for coarse scale estimation of EF at/near monitored locations on major rivers of Sri Lanka, along with example applications to two locations on River Mahaweli. It is hoped that these tools will help bridge the gap between EF science and its practice in Sri Lanka and other developing countries.
2 Eriyagama, Nishadi; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Jinapala, K. 2016. The Sri Lanka environmental flow calculator: a science-based tool to support sustainable national water management. Water Policy, 18:480-492. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2015.158]
Environmental flows ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water power ; Water allocation ; Sustainability ; Ecological control ; Environmental impact assessment ; River basin development ; Stream flow ; Policy making ; Software ; Hydrological regime / Sri Lanka / Ullapane / Mederipitiya / Mahaweli River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047276)
http://wp.iwaponline.com/content/ppiwawaterpol/18/2/480.full.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047276.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047276.pdf
(0.44 MB)
As Sri Lankan water resources are being increasingly exploited, particularly for hydropower and irrigation, ecologists, water practitioners and policymakers alike are realizing the importance of protecting these resources and setting environmental sustainability thresholds. Environmental Flows (EF) - the concept that helps define such thresholds – has now become an integral part of environmental impact assessments of river basin development projects. Considering EF is especially vital in the context of the accelerated infrastructure development program, launched after the end of the war in the north and the east of the country in 2009. This paper describes a simple, user-friendly software tool that facilitates quick, first-hand estimation of EF in Sri Lankan rivers. The tool uses ‘natural’ or ‘unregulated’ monthly flow time series, at any river location to construct a flow duration curve that is then modified depending on the desired condition of a river – an environmental management class – to generate an EF time series. The tool includes historical flow records from 158 gauged locations, but users may also feed in (observed/simulated) external data. The paper illustrates the application of the tool at two locations of existing/ planned infrastructure projects and discusses its usefulness as a policy tool.
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