Environmental Flows Assessment of Eastern Ramganga River, India, by Drought Analysis

Abstract

Environmental Flows (EFs) have been accepted as one of the most important factors deciding the survival of a river. This concept is fairly well understood in few developed countries however, in developing countries like India, EFs consideration in river water resource development and management poses great challenges. In this paper, EFs variability was estimated using Tennant's method, Hughes and Munster method and further comparing it with drought severity of study area using SPEI (Standerized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index). The computed values further helps to establish a link between EF and drought severity and as a results helps to assess the health EF condition of the river basin. The estimated results could be used in future water resource and river health assessment in the basin.