Transcript Eflows in Water Policies, Plans and Projects

Environmental flows in water
Resources policies, plans and
projects: global lessons
Dr. Rafik Hirji
World Bank
Background
Fundamental Water Issue
On the one hand,
infrastructure for:
 Reliable, adequate, safe water
supply
 Provision of water for
development
But also protection of
environment
 Provision of ecosystem services
 Meeting international obligations
IWRM and Environment
 IWRM is being introduced in policy but not in
practice
 At best, individual elements of IWRM are
introduced opportunistically
 Recognition and provision of water for the
environment is one of the least implemented
aspects of IWRM practice
This Presentation will…..
 Summarize some global successes of
environmental flows
 Describe a recent World Bank study of e-flows at
policy, plan and project levels
 Present lessons learned
 Implications for India and Ganges basin
Environmental Flows and
Decision Making
 Originally e-flows for new infrastructure; now
rehabilitation and catchment/basin planning
 Deciding on e-flows is a social choice, not a
technical decision – science and social input
is essential
 Throws focus on ecosystem services – esp.
for downstream communities
 E-flows provided through releases of ereserves, and through restrictions on
abstractions (or improved water use)
The Record Shows…..
Infrastructure development has
not always been planned,
designed or operated to share
benefits equitably or to protect
the environment and the
people dependent on
environmental services,
especially those downstream
of dams
Expanding Awareness in Dam
Development
1940
Engineers
1950
+ Economists
1960
1970
+ Environment
1980
+ Sociologists
1990
2000
2010
+ Displaced People
+ Downstream Impacts
Putting the Pieces Together
Time to develop comprehensive approach,
from policy to project, for ensuring eflows in development assistance
Study Objective
Help advance the understanding and
integration in operational terms of
environmental water allocation into
integrated water resources management
Linking policy to laws, strategy,
plans, programs to projects
Policy
Legislation
Strategy
Plans
Programs
Project
Entry Points for E-Flows
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Water and environmental policy reform
Basin/catchment planning
New infrastructure
Rehabilitation and re-operation
Policy
Legislation
Strategy
Plans
Programs
Project
E-Flow Case Study Analysis
Geographic Diversity
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Policy – Australia, EU, South Africa, Tanzania, Florida
 Plans – Kruger, Mekong, Pangani, Pioneer
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Projects – Aral Sea, Berg River, Bridge River, Chilika, Lesotho,
Kihansi, Senegal River, Tarim
Example – New Infrastructure
Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania
 Limited downstream EA
 Rare spray dependent
ecosystem discovered
 Bank supported remedial
measures
 Final water right
 Lessons
– Lack of policy guidance
– Lack of assessment capacity
– Early thorough EA would have
prevented problem
Example – Rehabilitation
Aral Sea, Central Asia
 Excessive upstream water
extraction
 Desiccation → loss of
livelihoods and health
 Total restoration too costly
 Dyke & irrigation rehabilitation
restore Northern Aral Sea
 Lessons
– Ignoring downstream can be costly
– Transboundary coordination
essential
– Engineering part of solution
Example – Rehabilitation
Tarim Basin, China
 Irrigation diversions dried lower Tarim
River; desert encroachment; lakes
dried out
 Rehabilitation led to improved operating
practices, relined canals, improved
cropping
 Greenbelt restored; irrigation efficiency
improved
 Lessons
– Not regarded as e-flow
– Sometimes win-win
– Engineering and improved mgmt both
needed
Lessons - Policy
 Policy backing very important
 Gives legitimacy to e-flows in plans and projects
 Establish priority for e-flows
 Provides participation requirements
 Include whole water cycle in policy, esp.
groundwater
 Value-laden terms must be operationally
defined
 Independent oversight authority valuable
Challenges - Policy
BUT
≠ Needs political support to implement policy
≠ Alignment with other sectoral policies is
difficult
≠ Need to establish clear public benefits from
e-water
Lessons - Plans
 Environmental benefits must
be
demonstrable
 E-flow terminology can be misleading
 Whole water cycle in plans e.g. interception
 Participation important, but tailor to capacity
 Range of EFA methods required
 Monitor environmental outcomes
 Procedural drivers important for water plans
Challenges - Plans
BUT
≠ Little information on costs of EFA in
planning – perception of delays and costs
≠ Difficult to bring sectoral agencies into
planning decisions
≠ Be cautious in water allocation – very
difficult to recover from over-allocation
≠ Need to build expertise in developing
countries
Lessons – Projects
 Restoration projects often require both
engineering and flow management
 Environmental outcomes need to be linked to
socio-economic outcomes
 EFAs should cover all ecosystem components
 EFA is a small component of project costs
 Need understandable presentation of e-flow
outcomes
 Economic studies can help the case for e-flows
 E-flows readily accepted when benefits obvious
Challenges - Projects
BUT
≠ Water resources staff can be better
advocates than environmental agency staff,
BUT engineers can find e-flow concepts
indeterminate
≠ EFAs are yet to be mainstreamed into EA
Implications for India
 A clear policy on E flows
 Technical guideline that defines the range
and appropriateness of different E flow
methods and approaches maybe useful
 An operational guideline for systematically
undertaking EFAs or for integrating it into
the planning process
 E flow training modules
Implications for the Ganga
 Govt has committed to Ganga rejuvenation
 Rejuvenation is a water quality (point & NPS
pollution) and quantity (e flows) issue
 Ganga basin rejuvenation is basin wide
challenge
 E flows not only a hydropower issue but also
a domestic, industry and agriculture water
use issue, and IWRM issue
 Strategic basin planning maybe a useful tool
The World Bank and E-Flows
 Bank both informed by and contributes to
evolving e-flow knowledge and practice
 The Bank contribution mainly through
– Lesotho Highland Water Project,
– Restoration of the Tarim River,
– Restoration of the Northern Aral Sea
– Infrastructure in Lower Kihansi River
– Infrastructure in the Senegal River basin
– Technical documents
Email:
[email protected]
Thank you