Environmental flows in water resources policies, plans, and projects: findings and recommendations
This report addresses one of the greatest shortcomings of water resource development projects: the inadequate protection of environmental flow conditions in rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and groundwater systems. This deficiency has affected hundreds of millions of people whose lifestyles and well-being depend upon natural ecosystem services provided by healthy freshwater systems. Anticipating that many new water development projects will be built in coming decades for the purpose of alleviating poverty and managing water risks associated with climate change, efforts to mainstream environmental flow considerations into this ongoing water development are of the greatest urgency. The report outlines a clear, cogent, and compelling framework to guide needed growth in the Bank