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Environmental Flows Assessment in Nepal: The Case of Kaligandaki River

Author

Listed:
  • Naresh Suwal

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Khwopa College of Engineering, Bhaktapur 44800, Nepal)

  • Alban Kuriqi

    (CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Xianfeng Huang

    (College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Gulou District, Nanjing 210098, China)

  • João Delgado

    (CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Dariusz Młyński

    (Department of Sanitary Engineering and Water Management, University of Agriculture in Krakow, St. Mickiewicza 24–28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland)

  • Andrzej Walega

    (Department of Sanitary Engineering and Water Management, University of Agriculture in Krakow, St. Mickiewicza 24–28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland)

Abstract

Environmental flow assessments (e-flows) are relatively new practices, especially in developing countries such as Nepal. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the influence of hydrologically based e-flow methods in the natural flow regime. The study used different hydrological-based methods, namely, the Global Environmental Flow Calculator, the Tennant method, the flow duration curve method, the dynamic method, the mean annual flow method, and the annual distribution method to allocate e-flows in the Kaligandaki River. The most common practice for setting e-flows consists of allocating a specific percentage of mean annual flow or portion of flow derived from specific percentiles of the flow duration curve. However, e-flow releases should mimic the river’s intra-annual variability to meet the specific ecological function at different river trophic levels and in different periods over a year covering biotas life stages. The suitability of the methods was analyzed using the Indicators of Hydrological Alterations and e-flows components. The annual distribution method and the 30%Q-D (30% of daily discharge) methods showed a low alteration at the five global indexes for each group of Indicators of Hydrological Alterations and e-flows components, which allowed us to conclude that these methods are superior to the other methods. Hence, the study results concluded that 30%Q-D and annual distribution methods are more suitable for the e-flows implementation to meet the riverine ecosystem’s annual dynamic demand to maintain the river’s health. This case study can be used as a guideline to allocate e-flows in the Kaligandaki River, particularly for small hydropower plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Naresh Suwal & Alban Kuriqi & Xianfeng Huang & João Delgado & Dariusz Młyński & Andrzej Walega, 2020. "Environmental Flows Assessment in Nepal: The Case of Kaligandaki River," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-23, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:21:p:8766-:d:432877
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kuriqi, Alban & Pinheiro, António N. & Sordo-Ward, Alvaro & Garrote, Luis, 2019. "Flow regime aspects in determining environmental flows and maximising energy production at run-of-river hydropower plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    2. Rawshan Ali & Alban Kuriqi & Shadan Abubaker & Ozgur Kisi, 2019. "Hydrologic Alteration at the Upper and Middle Part of the Yangtze River, China: Towards Sustainable Water Resource Management Under Increasing Water Exploitation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Suwal, Naresh & Huang, Xianfeng & Kuriqi, Alban & Chen, Yingqin & Pandey, Kamal Prasad & Bhattarai, Khem Prasad, 2020. "Optimisation of cascade reservoir operation considering environmental flows for different environmental management classes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 453-464.
    4. Smakhtin, Vladimir & Anputhas, Markandu, 2006. "An assessment of environmental flow requirements of Indian river basins," IWMI Research Reports H039610, International Water Management Institute.
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