78321 20200228103852.0 doi 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.207 sideral 105302 ART-2018-105302 eng (orcid)0000-0003-4537-9619 Almazán-Gómez, M.Á. Universidad de Zaragoza Environmental flow management: an analysis applied to the Ebro River Basin 2018 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Environmental flows (EF) define the quantity, timing and quality of river flows needed to preserve freshwater ecosystems while assuring the continuity of human use. Insofar as they reduce water availability and condition agricultural and industrial uses, EF represent a constraint, but they also hold out new opportunities for development. This study focuses on the final stretch of the Ebro River (Spain) and on the competing environmental uses of water (the Ebro Delta is a biosphere reserve) and economic uses (irrigation and electricity generating). Environmental flows in the Ebro Delta are currently managed only from the Mequinenza dam and reservoir in eastern Aragon, and the resulting outflows have more than once driven the level of the reservoir down to critical environmental levels in recent years. In general, this management policy has also caused a range of negative environmental and economic impacts in the area. However, other alternatives exist, which could foster both more cooperative and equitable flow allocations, and the development and sustainability of the Ebro Basin. To this end, we develop a water management model to simulate scarcity scenarios and measure the associated environmental flow default rates assuming current productive uses. Our findings confirm that it is not possible to guarantee EFs in the delta without reservoir-based water management so as to ensure the compatibility of EFs with the irrigation and hydroelectric activities. Moreover, the existence of more equitable and cooperative water management options would reduce water pressures on Mequinenza dam and so help fulfill the subsidized irrigation commitments established in Aragonese Lower Ebro Plan. info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FEDER/S10 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MEC/FPU14-01694 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/ECO2013-41353-P info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by-nc-nd http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/ 6.395 2018 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL 8 / 52 = 0.154 2018 Q1 T1 GREEN & SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6 / 35 = 0.171 2018 Q1 T1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 18 / 250 = 0.072 2018 Q1 T1 1.62 2018 Environmental Science (miscellaneous) 2018 Q1 Strategy and Management 2018 Q1 Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment 2018 Q1 Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering 2018 Q1 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion (orcid)0000-0001-9521-4156 Sánchez-Chóliz, J. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-4802-600X Sarasa, C. Universidad de Zaragoza 4000 415 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Análisis Económico Área Fund. Análisis Económico 182 (2018), 838-851 J. clean. prod. Journal of Cleaner Production 0959-6526 461877 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/78321/files/texto_completo.pdf Postprint 8390 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/78321/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Postprint oai:zaguan.unizar.es:78321 articulos driver 2020-02-28-10:17:20 ARTICLE