IAIA Washington Area Branch Meeting: Environmental Flows in Water Resources Policies, Plans, and Projects
Environmental Flows in Water Resources Policies, Plans, and Projects
Room MC 10-100
World Bank,
1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC
Rafik Hirji, Sr. Water Resources Specialist
Environmental flows are the water that is left in a river ecosystem, or released into it, for the specific purpose of managing the condition of that ecosystem. The flows of the world’s rivers are increasingly being modified through infrastructure, water abstractions for agriculture and cities, hydropower, and drainage return flows. These interventions have reduced the flow of many rivers, altered the seasonality of flows, and changed the size and frequency of floods. In many cases, these modifications have adversely affected water ecosystems.
Additional background information can be found at:
