Quantification of Environmental Flow Requirement for some Rivers in West Java

Research Center for Water Resources, Jalan Ir. H. Juanda 193, Bandung 40135, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: whatmoko@gmail.com

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Water management is making a balance between water for livelihood and water as a resource. Environmental Flow Requirement (EFR) is water conservation, on the side of the water for livelihood, to sustain the river ecosystem. In Indonesia, the common quantification of EFR is dependable flow Q95%. However, there are alternative quantities: a) Guideline of irrigation states that 5% from the available water in the river is for environmental purposes; b) Adoption of the Tennant Method of using 10% of the mean flow; and recently Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the framework of SDG proposed that in Java Island the EFR is from 40% to 50% of the mean annual flow. This paper discusses several ways of quantification of the EFR in Indonesia, and apply the different EFR quantities to Citarum, Cimanuk, and Cimandiri Rivers in West Java. It is concluded that EFR quantity according to FAO that might be suitable for the rivers in the pristine catchments in the southern part of West Java is too high for the rivers in the northern part of West Java which is heavily populated and maturely developed. Furthermore, the dependable flow of Q95% is found to be close to the quantity of FAO, but in the dry season, Q95% is more suitable. It is recommended using a modified FAO that combine with Q95% during the dry season.