Australian Development Gateway

The Australian Development Gateway (ADG) strives to support members of the development community in their efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. The site has been created with participation from members of government, private, academia and non-government organisations. User feedback mechanisms have been incorporated to guide future directions of the site. The site is optimised for low bandwidth access to enable the widest participation throughout the Asia Pacific region.

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Integrated water management

FLOW: the essentials of environmental flows

This webpage contains the full text of FLOW: The Essentials of Environmental Flows, published in 2003 by the Water and Nature Initiative of IUCN - The World Conservation Union.  It outlines the general theory, key messages and essential components behind environmental flows.  It also contains a range of case studies from around the world gathered for FLOW by the IUCN.

An environmental flow is the water regime provided within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain ecosystems and their benefits where there are competing water uses and where flows are regulated. Environmental flows provide critical contributions to river health, economic development and poverty alleviation. They ensure the continued availability of the many benefits that healthy river and groundwater systems bring to society.

 

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