A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi River
Environmental flows are defined as the flow required into a stream to maintain the river’s ecosystem. The notion of Environmental Flow Allocation (EFA) ensures that a sufficient amount of water is delivered to the stream to maintain ecological integrity. The objective of this study is to examine env...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Earth |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/4/3/30 |
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| author | Jaini Umrigar Darshan J. Mehta Tommaso Caloiero Hazi Md. Azamathulla Vijendra Kumar |
| author_facet | Jaini Umrigar Darshan J. Mehta Tommaso Caloiero Hazi Md. Azamathulla Vijendra Kumar |
| author_sort | Jaini Umrigar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Environmental flows are defined as the flow required into a stream to maintain the river’s ecosystem. The notion of Environmental Flow Allocation (EFA) ensures that a sufficient amount of water is delivered to the stream to maintain ecological integrity. The objective of this study is to examine environmental flows and determine the best acceptable strategy for providing flows into the river in the Lower Tapi Basin. To achieve this objective, daily discharge data from three sites, Ukai (period 1975–2020), Motinaroli (period 1990–2021), and Ghala (period 1995–2005) were collected and analyzed using the Tennant, Tessman, variable monthly flow (VMF), and Smakhtin methodologies. A comparative analysis was carried out on all three sites using the four methodologies. The Tessman and VMF approaches have a strong connection with the computed environmental flow requirements (EFR), according to the results. The calculated EFR was found to be in the range of 30–35% of mean annual flows (MAF). The maximum EFR found at station Ghala is about 54.5% of MAF according to the Tessman method. Such research will help to prevent future degradation of the river by supplying flow in accordance with the EFR, and it will also be used by stakeholders and policymakers to allocate water to preserve the ecosystem. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:51:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-675a83d2973a43a19c4a4680820fce77 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4834 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:51:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj.art-675a83d2973a43a19c4a4680820fce772023-11-19T10:17:44ZengMDPI AGEarth2673-48342023-08-014357058310.3390/earth4030030A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi RiverJaini Umrigar0Darshan J. Mehta1Tommaso Caloiero2Hazi Md. Azamathulla3Vijendra Kumar4Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. S. & S. S. Ghandhy Government Engineering College, Surat 395001, Gujarat, IndiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Dr. S. & S. S. Ghandhy Government Engineering College, Surat 395001, Gujarat, IndiaNational Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM), 87036 Rende, ItalyDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, St Augustine Campus, The University of West Indies, St Augustine 685509, Trinidad and TobagoDepartment of Civil Engineering, Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune 411005, Maharashtra, IndiaEnvironmental flows are defined as the flow required into a stream to maintain the river’s ecosystem. The notion of Environmental Flow Allocation (EFA) ensures that a sufficient amount of water is delivered to the stream to maintain ecological integrity. The objective of this study is to examine environmental flows and determine the best acceptable strategy for providing flows into the river in the Lower Tapi Basin. To achieve this objective, daily discharge data from three sites, Ukai (period 1975–2020), Motinaroli (period 1990–2021), and Ghala (period 1995–2005) were collected and analyzed using the Tennant, Tessman, variable monthly flow (VMF), and Smakhtin methodologies. A comparative analysis was carried out on all three sites using the four methodologies. The Tessman and VMF approaches have a strong connection with the computed environmental flow requirements (EFR), according to the results. The calculated EFR was found to be in the range of 30–35% of mean annual flows (MAF). The maximum EFR found at station Ghala is about 54.5% of MAF according to the Tessman method. Such research will help to prevent future degradation of the river by supplying flow in accordance with the EFR, and it will also be used by stakeholders and policymakers to allocate water to preserve the ecosystem.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/4/3/30environmental flow requirements (EFR)Tessmanvariable monthly flow (VMF)TennantSmakhtin methodcalculated environmental flow requirements |
| spellingShingle | Jaini Umrigar Darshan J. Mehta Tommaso Caloiero Hazi Md. Azamathulla Vijendra Kumar A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi River Earth environmental flow requirements (EFR) Tessman variable monthly flow (VMF) Tennant Smakhtin method calculated environmental flow requirements |
| title | A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi River |
| title_full | A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi River |
| title_fullStr | A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi River |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi River |
| title_short | A Comparative Study for Provision of Environmental Flows in the Tapi River |
| title_sort | comparative study for provision of environmental flows in the tapi river |
| topic | environmental flow requirements (EFR) Tessman variable monthly flow (VMF) Tennant Smakhtin method calculated environmental flow requirements |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/4/3/30 |
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