Environmental Flows PanelRiversymposium

International Conference on Environmental Flows

Chair: Prof Angela ArthingtonGriffith University

The panel:

Angela Arthington Chair and introduction

Leroy Poff ScienceBrian Richter ImplementationRebecca Tharme Integrated Water Resource ManagementMichael McClain Capacity buildingBruce Aylward EconomicsKevin Rogers Social considerationsJamie Pittock Law and governanceGer Bergkamp Closing comments

The State of Science in Environmental Flows

N. LeRoy PoffColorado State University

Fort Collins, CO 80524

2007 Riversymposium

Environmental Flow • A prescribed allocation of water to achieve a

desired environmental (ecological) outcome

• Outcome definition is a societal process

• Scientists participate in outcome definition (river visions)

• Scientists give technical analysis and tools to inform Environmental Flow Management

State of Eflows Science

Poff et al. (1997, BioScience)

State of Eflows Science

State of Eflows Science

Bunn and Arthington (2002, Environmental Management)

State of Eflows Science

Sources of Knowledge

2 “scales” of knowledge:– Local / experimental [higher confidence]– Regional / correlational [lower confidence]

Expert Knowledge

Empiricalexperiments

Empirical associations

Literature reviews

Process-basedModeling

Frontier of Eflows Science• Develop better regional-scale relationships between

flow alteration and ecological responses• “Scale-up” local-scale knowledge to regional scale

Arthington, Bunn, Poff,and Naiman (2006,Ecological Applications)

Fundamental Constraint(after Levins 1968)

Generality

RealismPrecision

Process-basedModels

EmpiricalAssociations

EmpiricalExperiments

Major Questions• How much precision is needed in flow-ecology

relationships (local or regional)?• How can we increase realism of Eflows models?

– Accounting for multiple drivers?– Developing stream/river typologies for regional studies?

• How do we “scale-up” local knowledge to regional context?

• What science is needed to support prioritization of Eflows in a regional or landscape context?

• What are implications of climate change for Eflows science and implementation?

Brian RichterCo-Leader, Global Freshwater

Team

Environmental Flows PanelRiversymposium

International Conference on Environmental Flows

Biodiversity and ecosystem services

Economic enterprises

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services

Economic EnterprisesSocial Justice &

Poverty Alleviation

Water Governance

E = ecosystem support H = human use

A Sustainable Approach to Water Management

From “Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature” by Sandra Postel and Brian Richter (Island Press 2003)

E-Flows Implementation

• Limits on water withdrawals (reserve/permits/rights)

• Conditions on dam operations• Market transactions

E-Flow Demonstration Projects

Water Policy Leverage

National, Regional or Global Impact

TNC’s “Theory of Change”

Environmental Flows in Environmental Flows in Integrated Water Resources Integrated Water Resources

ManagementManagement

Rebecca TharmeRebecca Tharme

The Nature ConservancyThe Nature Conservancyandand

International Water Management InstituteInternational Water Management Institute

10th International River Symposium & Environmental Flows ConferenceBrisbane, Australia, 3-6 September 2007

Integrated Water Resources Management

“a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems”

(GWP Technical Advisory Committee 2000)

A coordinating framework for integrating sectoral needs, water and water-related policy, resource allocation, and management within the context of social, economic, and environmental development objectives

(Cap-Net website 2007)

Conceptual basis of Integrated Water Resources Management

Structure

EconomicEfficiency Equity Environmental

Sustainability

ManagementInstruments

AssessmentInformationAllocationInstruments

EnablingEnvironment

PoliciesLegislation

InstitutionalFramework

Central -LocalRiver BasinPublic -Private

Balance “water for livelihood” and “water as a resource”

Components

Strategic objectives of IWRM

EconomicEfficiency Equity Environmental

Sustainability

ManagementInstruments

AssessmentInformationAllocationInstruments

EnablingEnvironment

PoliciesLegislation

InstitutionalFramework

Central -LocalRiver BasinPublic -Private

Balance “water for livelihood” and “water as a resource”

1. Efficiency, to make water resources go as far as possible

Strategic objectives of IWRM

EconomicEfficiency Equity Environmental

Sustainability

ManagementInstruments

AssessmentInformationAllocationInstruments

EnablingEnvironment

PoliciesLegislation

InstitutionalFramework

Central -LocalRiver BasinPublic -Private

Balance “water for livelihood” and “water as a resource”

2. Equity, in the allocation of water across different social and economic groups

Strategic objectives of IWRM

EconomicEfficiency Equity Environmental

Sustainability

ManagementInstruments

AssessmentInformationAllocationInstruments

EnablingEnvironment

PoliciesLegislation

InstitutionalFramework

Central -LocalRiver BasinPublic -Private

Balance “water for livelihood” and “water as a resource”

3. Environmental sustainability, to protect the water resource base and associated ecosystems

IWRM process

Key Water & Water-related Policies/Inst.

Resources Assessment &

Analysis

Use Assessment & Analysis

Resource Development &

Management Plan

Implementation & Monitoring

Resource Allocation Strategy

Review & Evaluation

CountryDevelopment

Objectives

• Stakeholder Input• Donor Input• Other Input

Status of the aquatic ecosystemDifferences in viewpoint:

• Every drop of water that reaches the sea is wasted

• The environment is a competing user. Water can be allocated to the environment only after all other needs have been met

• The environment is a recognized user, with legitimate claim to water, but this must be justified

• The environment is the resource from which water is derived, and must be protected

Links between water and environment sectors

• E-flow provision is both a water resources management and environmental issue and should be addressed concurrently in

environmental sector (frameworks, targets) andwater sector (implementation)

• EIAs for water resource development projects -opportunities to introduce e-flows, but insufficient to ensure implementation

• E-flows need to be addressed in strategic water resource planning at basin level

Water management options for basin as a wholeSiting of storage and flow control structuresProtection of natural flow regimes in key tributaries

Basin context

• Different river (aquifer, lake) basins require different approaches to environmental flows

Highly regulated, highly or fully developed water resources (SW and/or GW), entrenched large abstractors – “closed basins”Relatively undeveloped, mostly run-of-river use, many smaller and subsistence users – “open basins”More or less institutional capacity

• National and regional policies can provide guiding frameworks, but basin level is where implementation happens

Conditions for successful incorporation of environmental flows in IWRM

• Harmonised policy and regulations explicit recognition of e-flows principlesat least at basin level (incl. transboundary), preferably at national/regional level across all sectors - optimization for multiple benefits

• Reliable, credible base data, monitoring infrastructure, information systems• Technical expertise and tools

e-flows determination incl. strategic targeting of river systems/parts for protectioninfrastructure operating ruleswater allocation tradeoffs

• E-flows in basin management plans and integration with management plans for other drivers (e.g. land use change)

• Transparent, robust decision-making arrangement – stakeholder inclusion• Institutional capacity for implementation• E-flows process connected with national IWRM plans (poverty reduction

strategies, MDGs etc.), water resource investments and policy reforms

E-Flows “Capacity”

Michael E. McClainFlorida International University

USAID Global Water for Sustainability Program

• Knowledge• Management Tools• Training• Infrastructure & Equipment• $$ €€

Elements of Capacity

= E-FlowsMcClain & Williams (Thur)

CA

PA

CIT

YKnowledge

• Hydrology• Ecology• Sociology • Economics

CA

PA

CIT

YManagement Tools

• Political recognition • Legal protection• Institutional responsibilities• Stakeholder engagement

– Douglas; Liphadzi; Maw (Tue) – Anantha; Loux; Forde & Onus (Wed)

• Assessment / planning – Smakhtin (Wed)

• Conflict resolution• Monitoring/enforcement

CA

PA

CIT

YTraining

• University Curriculum• Institutional Training• Continuing Ed Short Courses• Online courses• Facilitated Assessments

– Katharine Cross (Thur)– Hamza Sadiki (Tue)– Jay O’keeffe (Thur)

CA

PA

CIT

YInfrastructure/Equipment

• Instruments• Vehicles• Laboratories• Monitoring stations

CA

PA

CIT

YFinancing

• E-Flows in the budget• Donor coordination• Payment for environmental

services• Environmental flow markets

– Purkey & Furey (Wed)

E-Flows Capacity Sessions at Riversymposium

Economics & Environmental Flows

Bruce AylwardEcosystem Economics LLCbruce@ecosystemX.com

Economics

• T

– Should we?– How do we?

Should we?

• Private & Public Perspectives• Costs & Benefits

– Valuation– Evaluation

• Other factors– Non-monetized values– Risk and uncertainty

Causal Factors

• Economic nature of Ecosystem Services– Public goods and common pool resources

• Distribution of costs and benefits• Incentives driving private actors

– Compatible with efficiency from public perspective? with environmental flows?

• Market, policy and institutional failure

Arrangements and Incentive Mechanisms for EFlows

• Voluntary Arrangements– Exchange water/rights for compensation– Users agree on sharing water/rights

• Centralized Arrangements– Command and Control - water/rights reallocated– Project Investments - management and conservation– Market-Based Instruments - taxes and payments

• Regulated Market Arrangements– Cap and Trade Systems

Cost and Benefit Questions

• What are the direct costs?• What are the opportunity costs?• What are the transaction costs?• What are the benefits?

Distributional Questions

• Who loses/pays?– the polluter or user? existing vs. new?– the public? – the beneficiary?

• Who receives the benefits?• Who loses or gains on net?

Good Questions to Answer ‘Yes’

• Are the benefits clear, measurable & certain?

• Is the implementation approach proven?• Have alternative approaches been

investigated?• Are transaction costs low?• Is the approach adaptable?• Is participation voluntary? If not are losers

compensated?

Kevin RogersUniversity of the Witwatersrand

Environmental Flows – Social Considerations

Environmental flows laws & governance

Mr Jamie Pittock(Outgoing) Director, Global Freshwater

Programme, WWF (jpittock@wwf.org.au)

10th International Riversymposium & Environmental Flows Conference,

Brisbane, 3rd September 2007

Jindabyne Dam, Snowy River 28-8-07

Hume Weir, Murray River, 29-8-07

Water right purchase mechanisms, Murray River,

2003+• $320 M – Victorian Water Trust• $105 M – Riverbank NSW• $375 M – Water for Rivers (Snowy & Murray

rivers)• $1,000 M – Living Murray Program• $2,000 M – National Water Initiative• $10,000 M – National Plan for Water Security• $13.695 billion (AUD) total allocated since

2003

Law, policy & governance• Law: “the principles and regulations made by

governments” & “a statement of a relation between events which is consistent under the same conditions”.

• Policy: “a definite course of action adopted as expedient” & “prudence, practical wisdom, or expediency”

• Govern(ance): “to rule by right of authority” & “to exercise a directing or restraining influence over”

Law & governance theme• Appropriate local, state/provincial, national &

international governance• Water rights, policies & institutions• Combining science, politics and institutions• Conflict resolution• Market-based mechanisms• Poverty reduction, development policies and flows• Effectiveness of water quantity versus quality laws• Conservation of unregulated rivers• Application of international agreements, eg. Ramsar

Convention, UN Watercourses Convention.