Item

Abstract

Rivers are one of the prime sources of freshwater, governed by disparate hydrological and social factors. In the era of development underlined by significant small and large scale water infrastructures, maintaining the river's natural flow is vital for sustainable ecosystem management and well-being of riverine communities. Hence, it is essential to acknowledge and incorporate the concept of environmental flow as an integral part of policies for better planning and reservoir operation. This research study highlights the importance of analysing and maintaining the environmental flow using the Range of Variability Approach (RVA) method to calculate the degree of deviation from the natural flow regime. The river discharge data from lower Damodar River basin during pre (1934-1948) and post (1981-2013) dam construction periods were used for the analysis. The study also applied a convergent parallel mixed method to highlight the implications of altered river flow regime on fishing as a livelihood practice for downstream riverine communities. Qualitative data gathered from the fishing communities were analysed alongside quantitative computations. The fishing communities also substantiated the computational findings by reporting declining water levels to have the highest relative risk (21%) followed by lack of fish availability (19%). Notably, a high degree of alteration was observed for indicators such as those on seasonal and annual extreme flows. These analyses emphasized the importance of maintaining the environmental flow for effectively managing the ecosystem and ensuring a secured livelihood for the community.