Assessment of environmental flows for the Upper Ganga Basin: summary report
WWF-India released a comprehensive report on the Environmental Flow (E-flows) requirement of the river Ganga, Titled “Assessment of Environmental Flows for the Upper Ganga”. In 2008, a team from WWF, along with key partners and experts initiated the task of examining and adapting existing global E-Flow methodologies to develop an appropriate approach for a river as complex as the Ganga. This involved integrating various aspects of the river – social and livelihood needs, cultural and spiritual requirements, hydrology and hydraulics, geomorphology, water quality and biodiversity values. The approach to assess E-Flows for the Ganga was developed based on the Building Block Methodology which had to be adapted to include the unique cultural and spiritual values of the river. This report captures the journey, the outcomes and the lessons gathered over the last four years of this work.