ABSTRACT
The concept of integrated water resource management (IWRM) though aims maximizing social equity, economic efficiency, and ecological sustainability in water resource use, the third one relating to fulfilling minimum water requirements for ecosystem needs to sustain ecosystem services (ES) has been largely neglected while executing the water management policies. There are always unceasing conflicts for water among various competing water users, including the silent water users, biodiversity, and ecosystem. This chapter examines the existing issues of in-stream flows and highlights the need for ecological considerations in IWRM since that is the fundamental feature of this resource management that could help ensure the social and economic aspects. This is to ensure the environmental flow, crucial for ecosystem sustenance. This chapter discusses, inter alia, e-flow and its importance from the viewpoint of optimizing ES, community dependence on ecosystems, river valley project regulations, and the need for inclusion of e-flow in the same in the Indian context.
