2018年-世界发展银行全球_Environmental_Flows_for_Hydropower_Projects___Guidance_for_the_Private_Sector_in_Emerging_Markets_154页_5mb

Environmental Flows for Hydropower Projects: Good Practice Handbook Summary

Core Content

This Good Practice Handbook provides guidance for the private sector in emerging markets on assessing and managing environmental flows (EFlows) for hydropower projects. It aims to ensure that hydropower development maintains downstream river ecosystems and the people who rely on them, through the use of rigorous and consistent assessment methods.

Main Points

• Purpose: To guide practitioners in selecting appropriate EFlows assessment methods and integrating them into hydropower project planning.
• Focus: The Handbook outlines a structured approach to understanding river ecosystems, downstream impacts, stakeholder engagement, and mitigation strategies.
• Integration: It emphasizes the importance of aligning Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) with EFlows assessments, and ensuring data sharing and good communication between teams.
• Decision Tree: A key tool is provided to determine the resolution level of EFlows assessments based on the project's impact, ecological sensitivity, and social reliance on the river.

Key Information

1. Environmental Flows (EFlows) Definition

EFlows refer to the quantity, frequency, timing, and quality of water and sediment flows necessary to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods that depend on them. They are not limited to minimum flow specifications but consider natural variability in flow and sediment regimes.

2. EFlows Assessment Methods

• Low-resolution: Suitable for projects with minimal impact on ecosystems or where no significant social reliance exists.
• Medium-resolution: Applicable for existing dam cascades (not the last in the cascade) or non-critical habitat impacts.
• High-resolution: Required for projects that affect critical habitat, rare/endangered species, or socially significant river systems, and for transboundary or trans-basin projects.

3. EFlows and Mitigation Hierarchy

The Handbook supports the mitigation hierarchy—avoid, minimize, and compensate—for environmental impacts. It suggests that EFlows should be used in conjunction with other mitigation measures to ensure sustainable development.

4. Stakeholder Engagement

A comprehensive and appropriate stakeholder engagement program is essential. This process leads to informed decisions on EFlows and other mitigation strategies, ensuring that community needs are considered alongside ecological impacts.

5. Environmental Flow Management Plan (EFMP)

The Handbook recommends the development of an EFMP that includes monitoring metrics, operating rules, and adaptive management to ensure long-term sustainability.

6. Integration with Project Tools

• A logframe is provided to integrate EFlows into hydropower project planning.
• Case studies illustrate the practical application of EFlows concepts.

Structure of the Handbook

The Handbook is structured to guide practitioners through the following steps:

1. Understand the context of river functioning and ecosystem services (Section 2).
2. Assess potential downstream impacts and mitigation options (Section 3).
3. Align EFlows assessments with ESIAs and ensure data sharing (Section 5).
4. Select an appropriate EFlows method based on the project's design and operation (Section 6).
5. Engage stakeholders and make decisions based on assessment outcomes (Section 7).
6. Prepare an EFMP to manage EFlows effectively (Section 9).

Additional Resources

• Appendix A and B: Provide Terms of Reference (ToR) for EFlows assessments at project and basin/subbasin levels.
• Appendix C: A 10-point checklist for reviewing EFlows assessments.
• Appendix D: An annotated table of contents for EFMPs.
• Section 13: A glossary of key terms used in EFlows and environmental assessments.

Legal and Policy Context

EFlows are reflected in the World Bank Group (WBG)'s Safeguard Policies, Environmental and Social Standards (ESS), and IFC Performance Standards (PSs). These standards support the Equator Principles, which guide financial institutions in managing environmental and social risks in development projects.

Evolution of EFlows in the WBG

The WBG has been a key player in promoting EFlows since 2000, including the Brisbane Declaration definition. It has supported EFlows assessments at four levels:

• Water-resources policy and legislation
• River basin and watershed planning
• Investments in new infrastructure
• Rehabilitation and re-operation of existing infrastructure

The Handbook aims to bring consistency and discipline to EFlows assessments and implementation, especially in the hydropower sector.

Conclusion

This Handbook is a practical guide for the private sector to integrate EFlows into hydropower projects, ensuring ecosystem sustainability and social well-being. It highlights the importance of context-appropriate methods, stakeholder participation, and adaptive management in achieving environmental and social responsibility in hydropower development.