HR: 13:30h
AN: NB23C-01 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Global Evolution in Water Management: Moving Toward Ecological Sustainability?
AU: * Warner, A
EM: awarner@tnc.org
AF: The Nature Conservancy, 211 Ferguson Building, University Park, PA 16802 United States
AU: Richter, B
EM: brichter@tnc.org
AF: The Nature Conservancy, 211 Ferguson Building, University Park, PA 16802 United States
AU: Richter, B
EM: brichter@tnc.org
AF: The Nature Conservancy, 490 Westfield Roada, Charlottesville, VA 22901 United States
AB: A variety of human activities are having substantial influence on hydrologic systems globally. Conversion of landscapes from natural vegetation cover to developed conditions has changed the nature and scale of hydrologic variability - including river flow regimes - to varying degrees, depending upon the nature of land development in a catchment. Human demands for water have more than doubled during the past half century and continue to increase as the human population swells globally. River flows are regulated using dams and reservoirs to store water supplies, generate power, and control floods. Alteration of natural river flow regimes has become a leading cause of the precipitous decline in freshwater ecosystems. Fortunately, advancements in river science during the past few decades provide the knowledge necessary to support river management that both sustains ecological integrity and meets human needs. Hundreds of tools and methods are now available for defining environmental flow needs and assessing these flow needs as an integral part of decision making in water management. These improvements in scientific knowledge and tools are supporting substantial changes in water policy and water management practices. This presentation will provide examples of change in water policy and management practices from around the world, and will highlight challenges in implementing ecologically sustainable water management.
UR: http://www.freshwaters.org
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly