Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management
Storage of surface water is widely regarded as a form of insurance against rainfall variability. However, creation of surface storage often endanger the functions of natural ecosystems, and, in turn, ecosystem services that benefit humans. The issues of optimal size, placement and the number of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.proc-iahs.net/379/43/2018/piahs-379-43-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818033352568995840 |
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| author | N. Eriyagama V. Smakhtin L. Udamulla |
| author_facet | N. Eriyagama V. Smakhtin L. Udamulla |
| author_sort | N. Eriyagama |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Storage of surface water is widely regarded as a form of
insurance against rainfall variability. However, creation of surface storage
often endanger the functions of natural ecosystems, and, in turn, ecosystem
services that benefit humans. The issues of optimal size, placement and the
number of reservoirs in a river basin – which maximizes sustainable
benefits from storage – remain subjects for debate. This study examines the
above issues through the analysis of a range of reservoir configurations in
the Malwatu Oya river basin in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The study produced
multiple surface storage development pathways for the basin under different
scenarios of environmental flow (EF) releases and reservoir network
configurations. The EF scenarios ranged from <q>zero</q> to <q>very healthy</q>
releases. It is shown that if the <q>middle ground</q> between the two extreme
EF scenarios is considered, the theoretical maximum <q>safe</q> yield from
surface storage is about 65–70 % of the mean annual runoff (MAR) of the
basin. It is also identified that although distribution of reservoirs in the
river network reduces the cumulative yield from the basin, this cumulative
yield is maximized if the ratio among the storage capacities placed in each
sub drainage basin is equivalent to the ratio among their MAR. The study
suggests a framework to identify drainage regions having higher surface
storage potential, to plan for the right distribution of storage capacity
within a river basin, as well as to plan for EF allocations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T06:21:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45264aa9721e4ceebf8fcf26850d3d34 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2199-8981 2199-899X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T06:21:54Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-45264aa9721e4ceebf8fcf26850d3d342022-12-22T01:59:18ZengCopernicus PublicationsProceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences2199-89812199-899X2018-06-01379434710.5194/piahs-379-43-2018Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources managementN. Eriyagama0V. Smakhtin1L. Udamulla2International Water Management Institute, Battaramulla, 10120, Sri LankaUNU Institute for Water Environment and Health, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Civil Engineering, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri LankaStorage of surface water is widely regarded as a form of insurance against rainfall variability. However, creation of surface storage often endanger the functions of natural ecosystems, and, in turn, ecosystem services that benefit humans. The issues of optimal size, placement and the number of reservoirs in a river basin – which maximizes sustainable benefits from storage – remain subjects for debate. This study examines the above issues through the analysis of a range of reservoir configurations in the Malwatu Oya river basin in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The study produced multiple surface storage development pathways for the basin under different scenarios of environmental flow (EF) releases and reservoir network configurations. The EF scenarios ranged from <q>zero</q> to <q>very healthy</q> releases. It is shown that if the <q>middle ground</q> between the two extreme EF scenarios is considered, the theoretical maximum <q>safe</q> yield from surface storage is about 65–70 % of the mean annual runoff (MAR) of the basin. It is also identified that although distribution of reservoirs in the river network reduces the cumulative yield from the basin, this cumulative yield is maximized if the ratio among the storage capacities placed in each sub drainage basin is equivalent to the ratio among their MAR. The study suggests a framework to identify drainage regions having higher surface storage potential, to plan for the right distribution of storage capacity within a river basin, as well as to plan for EF allocations.https://www.proc-iahs.net/379/43/2018/piahs-379-43-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | N. Eriyagama V. Smakhtin L. Udamulla Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences |
| title | Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management |
| title_full | Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management |
| title_fullStr | Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management |
| title_short | Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management |
| title_sort | centralized versus distributed reservoirs an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management |
| url | https://www.proc-iahs.net/379/43/2018/piahs-379-43-2018.pdf |
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