River Management Issues Research Articles

Environmental Communication of Gerakan Ciliwung Bersih for Downstream Communities

A social movement is becoming a phenomenon along with development. Most of the social movements relate to environmental issues. River management issues among downstream communities have been increasingly raised as the problems of the river arise. This study aims to identify the social movement of downstream communities for the Ciliwung River and to analyze the communication development model of Gerakan Ciliwung Bersih (GCB) for downstream Ciliwung communities. This study used mixed methods, conducting a survey supported by interviews and observation. The results of the study found that the downstream communities have a different focus on Ciliwung social movement. It depends on the characteristics of the geography and their communities. Secondly, the communication development model of downstream communities mostly focuses on networking development as this influence most public participation in environmental actions. The study recommends collaboration between downstream and upstream communities as the issues of the Ciliwung River cannot be overcome partially between upstream and downstream areas. Finally, networking development as the communication model of the communities has to be combined with the city, capacity development, and organizing communities.

Things we can do now that we could not do before: Developing and using a cross-scalar, state-wide database to support geomorphologically-informed river management.

A fundamental premise of river management is that practitioners understand the resource they are working with. In river management this requires that baseline information is available on the structure, function, health and trajectory of rivers. Such information provides the basis to contextualise, to plan, to be proactive, to prioritise, to set visions, to set goals and to undertake objective, pragmatic, transparent and evidence-based decision making. In this paper we present the State-wide NSW River Styles database, the largest and most comprehensive dataset of geomorphic river type, condition and recovery potential available in Australia. The database is an Open Access product covering over 216,600 km of stream length in an area of 802,000 km2. The availability of the database presents unprecedented opportunities to systematically consider river management issues at local, catchment, regional and state-wide scales, and appropriately contextualise applications in relation to programs at other scales (e.g. internationally)-something that cannot be achieved independent from, or without, such a database. We present summary findings from the database and demonstrate through use of examples how the database has been used in geomorphologically-informed river management. We also provide a cautionary note on the limitations of the database and expert advice on lessons learnt during its development to aid others who are undertaking similar analyses.

Morphological Investigation of a Critical Reach of the Upper Hungarian Danube

The aim of this study is to analyze the current morphological changes and to predict the potential future trends of a critical reach of the upper Hungarian Danube River. In this section of the river the morphological features have undergone significant changes, mainly due to human impacts, such as the construction of the Gabcikovo hydropower plant close to the Slovakian border, or the river regulation measures with groin fields along the Hungarian reach. The morphological changes of the river inherently led to river management issues, e.g. the developed gravel bars caused problems for inland navigation. In order to reveal and understand the characteristic morphodynamic processes, results from past bed geometry surveys were assessed, moreover, extensive field measurement campaigns were carried out, including bathymetry survey, flow survey with fixed and moving Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), bed material sampling and bedload measurements. The utilization of up-to-date field data processing methods provided essential information on the current dominant morphological processes and finally, suggestions were made on the stability of the river planform.

Managing Shared Basins in the Horn of Africa – Ethiopian Projects on the Juba and Shabelle Rivers and Downstream Effects in Somalia

The Juba and Shabelle Rivers in the Horn of Africa are shared by Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Most of the rivers’ runoff originates from Ethiopia. Being in a water-scarce and war-ravaged region, the rivers cross areas of border dispute. The paper examines the physical and developmental aspects of the rivers, and analyses resulting trans-boundary river management issues. Methodology used is document reviews, literature analysis and interviews. The rivers supply important economic areas in Somalia. As an outcome from the master plan studies of the basins, Ethiopia is implementing large dams for hydropower generation and large irrigation schemes. No agreements exist between the basin countries. These unilateral major water development projects will have substantial adverse impacts on Somalia. The sum of existing water uses and planned demands in both countries will exceed available water resources in the rivers. Potential disputes over the shared rivers are therefore likely to rise. Turning this risk of conflict into a sustainable peace and development process in the region, the paper presents and analyses existing & potential opportunities for cooperation over the rivers for mutual benefit sharing. Broader regional economic integration through river cooperation seems to be the only and necessary solution for the looming crisis.

Preface: Assessment of physical habitat characteristics in rivers, implications for river ecology and management

Preface: Assessment of physical habitat characteristics in rivers, implications for river ecology and management Physical habitat characteristics are an extremely important factors determining the structure and composition of fluvial biological communities and fluvial ecosystem functioning. Existing methods for characterising the physical realm of river habitats are increasingly important, not only for monitoring river ecosystem health and the success of river restoration projects but also for increasing the understanding of river ecosystem functioning and improving the efficiency of management actions. However, there is no scientific consensus on which methods to use for long-term monitoring and which river features to monitor because many fundamental questions relating hydrological, geomorphological and biological characteristics remain unanswered and because river habitats are monitored to cover a wide variety of objectives. Several initiatives worldwide have demonstrated the importance of analysing and discussing the application of different methods to assess river habitat characteristics for different objectives. It would be interesting to achieve a common approach for river habitat characterization for different objectives, especially for mid- to long- term monitoring programs and different river management issues (e.g., monitoring river restoration projects). More elusive but no less important is the contribution of these methods to understanding the interactions between river habitat architecture and river functioning. In this regard, the Physical Habitat Assessment Methods in Rivers (PHAM) seminar was organised in Santander, northern Spain, in November 2009 to review current practices on river habitat assessment. The contributions presented in that seminar and some later contributions form the basis of this special volume. These papers identify the main factors creating and maintaining river habitats, review physical habitat assessment methods and propose improvements and adaptations, apply different methods in distinctive geographical areas and characterise river habitats for estimating habitat availability of different fish species.

Rivers in trust: stakeholders and delivery of the EU water framework directive

This paper describes the potential role of third-sector rivers trusts charities in co-delivery of the EU water framework directive. It uses as a case study the Tyne Rivers Trust in northeast England. The aim of the paper is to critically evaluate the capacity of the third sector to help deliver the vital public engagement, evidence-based strategies and practical measures required by the directive within a ‘big society' political context. The trust has several avenues of work, which heavily depend on stakeholder participation, from education, through debates on problem issues concerning the river to active voluntary work on measures to relieve ‘pressures' identified for local waterbodies under the directive. The trust also undertakes, in partnership with the Environment Agency, riparian works on aggravated sources of siltation – an identified threat to the biodiversity of the River Tyne. The paper ends with an assessment of the successes and failures of the organisation in its stakeholder relationships: ‘engagement' is identified as a vital element of the niche occupied by rivers trusts. It is seen as vital for the trust to maintain and adapt its successful ‘localism' model during a period of rapidly growing influence on river management issues.

Selecting fluvial geomorphological methods for river management including catchment scale restoration within the environment agency of England and Wales

There is a wide diversity of methods for applying fluvial geomorphological techniques to river management within the UK. This paper describes the application of such methods to river management issues at local and national scales, and offers guidance on the application of methods to morphological improvement, restoration and other management issues at the catchment scale. Background is given on the role and development of fluvial geomorphology within UK river management, and the role of recent legislative drivers is reviewed. The scope of current fluvial geomorphological methods which have been applied to river restoration within the Environment Agency over the last decade is described. The processes developed in this paper are drawn from existing Environment Agency guidance, nationally standardised methodologies and, to a limited extent, good practice from other UK sources. At the national scale a framework for developing fluvial geomorphological assessments using desk‐based analysis of map and remote sensed data is proposed. At the catchment scale a three‐tier system of fluvial geomorphological assessment is proposed for application to river restoration and management. This system provides increasing detail based upon the intensity of the required geomorphological output, and the objectives of the proposed assessment. Also considered are the cost and complexity of proposed activities, and the degree of environmental and economic risk associated with such activities. Methods at a local scale are separated into two tiers; general site assessments that constitute rapid fluvial geomorphological appraisals and geomorphological dynamics assessments that entail a much deeper degree of study. Finally, the future challenges which must be addressed in order to develop and improve the application of fluvial geomorphology to river restoration and management in the Environment Agency are considered. In this context three key issues are apparent; the standardisation of methods, the national collation of data, and the consistency of application of the various approaches.

THE CHALLENGE OF PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW RULES TO SUSTAIN RIVER ECOSYSTEMS

Accounting for natural differences in flow variability among rivers, and understanding the importance of this for the protection of freshwater biodiversity and maintenance of goods and services that rivers provide, is a great challenge for water managers and scientists. Nevertheless, despite considerable progress in understanding how flow variability sustains river ecosystems, there is a growing temptation to ignore natural system complexity in favor of simplistic, static, environmental flow "rules" to resolve pressing river management issues. We argue that such approaches are misguided and will ultimately contribute to further degradation of river ecosystems. In the absence of detailed empirical information of environmental flow requirements for rivers, we propose a generic approach that incorporates essential aspects of natural flow variability shared across particular classes of rivers that can be validated with empirical biological data and other information in a calibration process. We argue that this approach can bridge the gap between simple hydrological "rules of thumb" and more comprehensive environmental flow assessments and experimental flow restoration projects.

Tropical rivers

This paper presents an overview of tropical river systems around the world and identifies major knowledge gaps. We focus particularly on the rivers draining the wet and wet–dry tropics with annual rainfall of more than 700 mm/year. The size of the analyzed river basins varies from 10 4 to 6 × 10 6 km 2. The tropical rivers across the globe drain a variety of geologic–geomorphologic settings: (a) orogenic mountains belts, (b) sedimentary and basaltic plateau/platforms, (c) cratonic areas, (d) lowland plains in sedimentary basins and (e) mixed terrain. All of them show clearly high but variable peak discharges during the rainy season and a period of low flow when rainfall decreases. Some tropical rivers show two flood peaks, a principal and a secondary one, during the year. We computed the intensity of floods and discharge variability in tropical rivers. The relationship between sediment yield and average water discharge for orogenic continental rivers of South America and Asia was also plotted. Insular Asian rivers show lower values of sediment yield related to mean annual discharge than continental orogenic rivers of Asia and South America. Rivers draining platforms or cratonic areas in savanna and wet tropical climates are characterized by low sediment yields. Tropical rivers exhibit a large variety of channel form. In most cases, and particularly in large basins, rivers exhibit a transition from one form to another so that traditional definitions of straight, meandering and braided may be difficult to apply. In general, it is more useful to apply the terminology of single and multi-channel systems or complex anabranching systems at least for selected regional segments. Present-day knowledge of tropical systems and its potential application to improve interpretation of older alluvial sequences and facies models are briefly discussed. Human impact and river management issues including land use changes, mining, dams, interbasin water transference as well as flood hazards are some of the daunting problems in tropical river basins today.

Scientific panels and their use in environmental flow assessment in Australia

‘Scientific’ or ‘Expert’ Panels have played an important role in water resource management in Australia in recent years. Scientific Panels have been an excellent knowledge exchange mechanism, providing a synthesis of multidisciplinary information and expertise on various river management issues, such as approaches to river rehabilitation, the setting of river health objectives or in developing environmental flow recommendations for regulated rivers. Many Panels have been convened to provide recommendations on environmental flows for regulated river systems within a relatively short time frame (eg rapid appraisals over 6–12 months) because of demanding Federal and State initiatives. As rapid appraisals utilise best-available information, they can be limited by the quality of existing information and the experience of Panel members. Indeed, many Scientific Panels are consistently confronted with the same range of information or knowledge gaps, particularly on the relationship between flow regime and the distribution and abundance of biota. The usefulness of Scientific Panels, as applied to river management issues such as environmental flow assessment, may decline unless there is investment to overcome key knowledge gaps such as the preferred flow regime of important riverine species or communities. The ongoing use of Scientific Panels for determining environmental flows would also be bolstered by the development of a clear process for selecting Panel members, protocols to guide the conduct of Panels, and the training of scientists to perform rapid appraisals of environmental flow requirements.

Fluvial Geomorphology and River Management

Australian river landscapes offer many challenges for management. Much Australian river research is novel, but practical concerns have always had an influence on the research agenda. Australia’s distinctive contributions to fluvial geomorphology include recognition of the great age of many fluvially eroded landscapes; understanding complex levee, terrace and valley fill sequences; analysing the impacts of rare major floods; interpreting the effects of impoundment, mining and urbanisation; and understanding the great anastomosing inland river systems. River restoration is now a major theme in the literature of river engineering, fluvial geomorphology and landscape design. Great achievements are occurring in geo‐ecological river management and engineering. Changing people’s thinking is becoming at least as important as gaining new scientific knowledge. The existing understanding needs to be more widely shared and enhanced by greater involvement with Asian countries where river management issues daily affect the lives of millions of people.