Environmental flow regime in the framework of integrated water resources management strategy

The so-called water crisis, recognized as an important issue in our times, is the result of several situations including demographic growth, water, soil and air pollution, catchment deforestation and increasing land and water-use conflicts. The effects of climatic variability and climate change on human beings and on the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems increase this crisis. The real and apparent conflicts existing between human and ecosystem water needs have increased the need to implement an alternative model for integrated water resources management (IWRM), of wide acceptance and use on a global scale. Environmental flow, a concept from the IWRM approach, has great potential in this type of conflict resolution; and it can be implemented at the catchment level. Nevertheless, there is not yet an agreement regarding terminology and concepts or assessment methodologies. The following paper purports to show the general context of water resources and to review the state of the art of environmental flow, including terminology, conceptual approaches, assessment challenges and its important role in the conservation of vulnerable ecosystems. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are presented.