Assessment of Environmental Flow Requirement using Environmental Management Classes-Flow Duration Curve for Narmada River

Abstract

Environmental flows are the water that is left in a river, or released into it (e.g. from a reservoir), in order to maintain valued features of the ecosystem (Kingand Tharme, 1993; Richter et al., 1997). It refers to the water considered sufficient for protecting the structure and function of an ecosystem and its dependent species. This means enough water is left in rivers, which is managed to ensure downstream environmental, social and economic benefits. Environmental flow requirements are those needed to help maintain downstream ecosystems, renewable natural resource production systems and associated livelihoods (Iyer, 2005). As such, environmental flow requirement is a compromise between water resources development and maintenance of a river in ecologically acceptable or agreed conditions (Acreman and Dunbar, 2004). By constructing dams and weirs and abstracting water, man tried to exploit the river mainly for International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 01 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com