Rapid environmental flow assessment for sustainable water resource management in Tanzania’s Lower Rufiji River Basin: a scoping review
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Heliyon
Abstract
The use of Environmental flow (e-Flow) assessment is a widely adopted approach to facilitate
informed decision-making concerning sustainable management and utilization of water resources
in river systems. The Lower Rufiji River Basin faces various developmental pressures from several
sectors, including hydropower, mining, agriculture, livestock, fishing, and tourism, necessitating
effective management of the sub-catchment area to prevent significant environmental impacts.
Consequently, it is essential to acquire a comprehensive comprehension of the catchment’s at
tributes, encompassing both climatic and non-climatic factors. Supported by e-Flow batch anal
ysis of the available data at Stiegler’s Gorge using the global environmental flow calculator, a
scoping review was conducted to determine the status of environmental flow in the lower Rufiji
River basin. The findings suggest that, while there has been progress in understanding eFlow
estimation, limited data and ecohydrological processes’ poor comprehension still present chal
lenges. Hydrological and holistic methodologies are commonly employed in Tanzania; however,
uncertainties remain, raising questions concerning trust between decision-making tools and water
resource utilization by the public. Climate variability influences e-Flow in the Rufiji River Basin,
and the projections under various scenarios indicate an increased temperature, varying rainfall,
and humidity levels. Further, the area has been identified as a vulnerable “hotspot” where
communities face greater climate stressor risks. With the existing and planned developmental
projects in the basin, including hydroelectric dams, mining, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, it
is critical to assess e-Flow in the Lower Rufiji River basin to ensure resource sustainability.
Advocating for preserving a dynamic environmental flow regime in rivers is recommended,
considering the Rufiji River Basin’s habitat connectivity. The future research direction should be
quantifying the contribution of base flow to the surface flow, and salinity dynamics in the Lower
Rufiji River Basin, which can affect the Delta’s biodiversity.
Description
Review article
Keywords
Environmental flow Scoping review Water use resources Sustainability And lower rufiji river basin, Tanzania, Scoping review, Water use resources, Sustainability, Lower rufiji river basin