Author(s): K. Latu; J. Costelloe; H. M. Malano
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Environmental Risk; Environmental Flow Demand; Environmental Risk Model
Abstract: The conventional approach to estimating environmental risk in a river basin does not consider the entire flow regime or all the environmental assets within a river system. Instead, previous studies have mainly focused on selected ecological indicators, such as habitat rating for a limited range of flows across the flow regime (e.g. low flow). Such an approach is limited because it represents environmental risk only with ecological risk, which does not totally account for the consequences to other environmental assets that may occur when environmental flow demand is unsatisfied. Furthermore, the cumulative effects of environmental risk over the past years are often ignored. Therefore, what is the best method for estimating environmental risk? We proposed a holistic, dynamic and more robust approach called environmental risk model, which is based on a statistical analysis of the entire flow regime that accounts for flow stress indicators to produce an environmental risk profile based on both frequency and consequence of occurrence of a given flow range.
Year: 2011