INCOH/SAR-2/95-How to conduct river surveys

Abstract

It has been well established by now that man's entry into terrestrial, aquatic ecosystems has been responsible for alterations in the nature's orderly system. Man-made river developments and water uses have had effects which were detrimental to the waste assimilation capacity and associated water quality of the rivers. In typical urban-industrial complex systems which are increasingly growing along the rivers, there is a competition for the limited water resources whose potential uses are (i) community and industrial water supply, (ii) power generation, (iii) irrigation, (iv) fish and wild life, and (v) the unavoidable accepter of wastes/residuals etc.from communities, industries, agricultural and natural run- offs. Each of these uses are important and therefore conflict of interest can arise. The mattes of priority and degree of use among users may change in place and time. But whatever be the use, the key to appropriate use of a water resource is the satisfactory, scientific disposal of the residuals of the waste products of man's activities. If waste products are discharged with regard to various factors governing the stream sanitation, then incompatibility among uses can be avoided.