Virtual 2
Oct 28, 2020 11:10 AM - 01:15 PM(Africa/Harare)
20201028T1110 20201028T1315 Africa/Harare How Zambezi River Basin is evolving from Eflows recommendation to practice - WWF and partners’ perspectives

Globally, most of the major river basins are under stress due to cumulative impacts of climate change, over-allocation of water resources and poor water quality. In the Zambezi River Basin, there is evidence that, even with the existence of large infrastructure water storages, frequent droughts have caused both short-term and long-term water management disruptions resulting in interrupted water availability, and declining river health across the river basin. Various studies undertaken to measure and implement environmental flows indicate that the key to improving rivers' health is maintaining more natural and variable flows including good water quality. To achieve long term sustainable goals, there is a considerable opportunity for a "mindset shift" towards nature-based solutions in the Zambezi Basin, that focus on protection of freshwater biodiversity as well as maintaining the ecosystem services by sustaining natural flow variability or keeping flow regimes similar to natural flows. 

Up to date, the Zambezi Basin continues to develop numerous methodologies and studies to determine e-flows and aims for dam re-operation releases to sustain ecosystem services. Like any other river basin with existing infrastructures, integrating e-flow requirements is relatively challenging in changing operations of existing dams hence the actual implementation of Eflows is minimal. However, stakeholders and Dam operators in the Basin are expressing the need to consider re-operating existing dams to sustain hydropower production while maintaining ecosystem services that have already been affected by the construction and operation of dams. For over a decade now, WWF and partners have been supporting the development of flow forecasting, dam synchronization and implementation of E ...

Virtual 2 21st WaterNet/WARFSA/GWPSA Symposium waternet@waternetonline.org
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Globally, most of the major river basins are under stress due to cumulative impacts of climate change, over-allocation of water resources and poor water quality. In the Zambezi River Basin, there is evidence that, even with the existence of large infrastructure water storages, frequent droughts have caused both short-term and long-term water management disruptions resulting in interrupted water availability, and declining river health across the river basin. Various studies undertaken to measure and implement environmental flows indicate that the key to improving rivers' health is maintaining more natural and variable flows including good water quality. To achieve long term sustainable goals, there is a considerable opportunity for a "mindset shift" towards nature-based solutions in the Zambezi Basin, that focus on protection of freshwater biodiversity as well as maintaining the ecosystem services by sustaining natural flow variability or keeping flow regimes similar to natural flows. 

Up to date, the Zambezi Basin continues to develop numerous methodologies and studies to determine e-flows and aims for dam re-operation releases to sustain ecosystem services. Like any other river basin with existing infrastructures, integrating e-flow requirements is relatively challenging in changing operations of existing dams hence the actual implementation of Eflows is minimal. However, stakeholders and Dam operators in the Basin are expressing the need to consider re-operating existing dams to sustain hydropower production while maintaining ecosystem services that have already been affected by the construction and operation of dams. For over a decade now, WWF and partners have been supporting the development of flow forecasting, dam synchronization and implementation of Eflows in the Zambezi Basin. This session will provide insights into how e-flows and dam operation in the Zambezi Basin are evolving (and expected to in the near future) from eflows recommendation to practice of Dam re-operation.


Presentation title

Time 

Lead

Introduction 

5min

Facilitator 

Opening Remarks 

5 min

WWF- Zambia

Nachilala

SECURING ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS IN THE ZAMBEZI BASIN- HISTORY ON E-FLOWS

10 min

WWF – Zambia 

Faith / Beauty 

Lower Kafue comprehensive Eflow Studies 

Zambezi River Basin Eflow studies - Key Eflows recommendations

20 min

GIZ and Southern Waters 

Adjoa Parker and DR Cate Brown 

Flow forecasting and Dam synchronization in the Zambezi Basin 

10 min

JOTC – HCB 

Rosaque João Guale

Eflows Capacity building in the Zambezi Basin- 

10min

WaterNet 

Prof Domnic Mazvimavi 

E-flows perspective - Zambezi River Basin Strategic Plan 

10min

ZAMCOM

From recommendation to practice re-operating Dams for e-flows implementation- OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ZAMBEZI

15 min 

IHE Delft

Prof Pieter van der Zaag and Afua Owusu

Panel discussion –

35 min

Facilitator /ZAMCOM

Session close

5min

Facilitator

No speaker for this session!
Lecturer/Researcher
,
IHE Delft
Freshwater Advisor
,
WWF
Mr. Steve Collins
Livelihoods and Adaptation Advisor
,
USAID Resilient Waters Program
participant
,
Water Institute
Special Session Speaker
,
Dabane Trust Water Workshops
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No speaker for this session!
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