Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index Methods
Tropical rivers and wetlands are recognized as one of the greatest and most abundant ecosystems in terms of ecological and social benefits. However, climate change, damming, overfishing, water pollution, and the introduction of exotic species threaten these ecosystems, which puts about 65% of river...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/18/2477 |
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| author | Mohammad Haroon Hairan Nor Rohaizah Jamil Mohammad Noor Amal Azmai Ley Juen Looi Moriken Camara |
| author_facet | Mohammad Haroon Hairan Nor Rohaizah Jamil Mohammad Noor Amal Azmai Ley Juen Looi Moriken Camara |
| author_sort | Mohammad Haroon Hairan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tropical rivers and wetlands are recognized as one of the greatest and most abundant ecosystems in terms of ecological and social benefits. However, climate change, damming, overfishing, water pollution, and the introduction of exotic species threaten these ecosystems, which puts about 65% of river flow and aquatic ecosystems under a moderate to high level of threat. This paper aims to assess the environmental flow of the Selangor River based on the hydrological index method using the Global Environmental Flow Calculator (GEFC) and Indicators of Hydrological Alterations (IHA) software. The daily flow data collected by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Malaysia, over a 60-year period (1960–2020) was used in this study to assess the Selangor River flow alterations. As per the results, the river flow has had two distinct periods over the last 60 years. In the first period, the river flows without any alteration and has a natural flow with high flood pulses and low flow pulses. While in the second, or post-impact, period, the flow of the river has a steady condition throughout the year with very little fluctuations between the dry and wet seasons of the year. From the overall comparison of the pre- and post-impact periods, it can be concluded that the minimum flow in the dry seasons of the year has increased, while the maximum flow has decreased in the monsoon seasons during the post-impact period. As a result, the Flow Duration Curve (FDC) and Environmental Management Class (EMC) analysis of the river flow recommends that the Selangor River be managed under EMC “C” to provide sufficient water for both human use and ecosystem conservation, which would also help to avoid a water level drop in the reservoirs. However, further holistic studies are suggested for a detailed analysis of the effects of the dams on aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Selangor River Basin. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:07:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36d9d68e906242f9981e9a8b67076eb3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:07:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-36d9d68e906242f9981e9a8b67076eb32023-11-22T15:40:01ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-09-011318247710.3390/w13182477Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index MethodsMohammad Haroon Hairan0Nor Rohaizah Jamil1Mohammad Noor Amal Azmai2Ley Juen Looi3Moriken Camara4Water Resource Laboratory, Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaWater Resource Laboratory, Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaAquatic Ecosystem and Management Laboratory, International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences (i-AQUAS), Lot 960 Jln Kemang 6, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaWater Resource Laboratory, Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaTropical rivers and wetlands are recognized as one of the greatest and most abundant ecosystems in terms of ecological and social benefits. However, climate change, damming, overfishing, water pollution, and the introduction of exotic species threaten these ecosystems, which puts about 65% of river flow and aquatic ecosystems under a moderate to high level of threat. This paper aims to assess the environmental flow of the Selangor River based on the hydrological index method using the Global Environmental Flow Calculator (GEFC) and Indicators of Hydrological Alterations (IHA) software. The daily flow data collected by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Malaysia, over a 60-year period (1960–2020) was used in this study to assess the Selangor River flow alterations. As per the results, the river flow has had two distinct periods over the last 60 years. In the first period, the river flows without any alteration and has a natural flow with high flood pulses and low flow pulses. While in the second, or post-impact, period, the flow of the river has a steady condition throughout the year with very little fluctuations between the dry and wet seasons of the year. From the overall comparison of the pre- and post-impact periods, it can be concluded that the minimum flow in the dry seasons of the year has increased, while the maximum flow has decreased in the monsoon seasons during the post-impact period. As a result, the Flow Duration Curve (FDC) and Environmental Management Class (EMC) analysis of the river flow recommends that the Selangor River be managed under EMC “C” to provide sufficient water for both human use and ecosystem conservation, which would also help to avoid a water level drop in the reservoirs. However, further holistic studies are suggested for a detailed analysis of the effects of the dams on aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Selangor River Basin.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/18/2477environmental flowriver flowdamminghydrological alterationaquatic ecosystembiodiversity |
| spellingShingle | Mohammad Haroon Hairan Nor Rohaizah Jamil Mohammad Noor Amal Azmai Ley Juen Looi Moriken Camara Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index Methods Water environmental flow river flow damming hydrological alteration aquatic ecosystem biodiversity |
| title | Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index Methods |
| title_full | Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index Methods |
| title_fullStr | Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index Methods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index Methods |
| title_short | Environmental Flow Assessment of a Tropical River System Using Hydrological Index Methods |
| title_sort | environmental flow assessment of a tropical river system using hydrological index methods |
| topic | environmental flow river flow damming hydrological alteration aquatic ecosystem biodiversity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/18/2477 |
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