RIVER RESTORATION
Batch Registration Code:
124ASB
Presented by:
[Link] Saketh -
160119732057
[Link] – 160119732034
[Link] - 160119732037
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW
RESTORATION APPROACHES AND TECHNIQUES
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
River restoration refers to a large variety of ecological,
physical, spatial and management measures and practices.
These are aimed at restoring the natural state and
functioning of the river system in support of biodiversity,
recreation, flood management and landscape development.
The fish species and the flora that were in the river
previously will return, but so will other animals such as birds
and insects.
While restoration is in progress, anything that helps so that
the river is returned to its previous condition (such as dams)
should be removed because they are barriers to fish migration
and reproduction.
River restoration can also be used where there are concerns
about erosion (due to human activity), silting or other
problems with rivers.
Why restore rivers?
Rivers and their catchments
provide a wide range of natural,
economic and societal services.
However, many activities such
as channelisation, culverting,
damming, abstraction,
urbanisation, pollution, dredging
and intensive agriculture can
negatively impact the
environment and the services
rivers provide.
LITERATURE REVIEW
1. The status and effects of the Yamuna Action Plan
(YAP), December-2020
Authors: Deepshikha Sharma and Arun Kansal
It is a bilateral project between the Government of India
and Japan, introduced in 1993. It is one of the largest river
restoration projects in India.
Yamuna river enters Delhi near Palla, traverses about 48
km. The stretch is about 22 km from Wazirabad to Okhla.
2% of river length is in Delhi but 70% of total pollution
loaded in Yamuna in Delhi.
All waste of the city ,domestic and industrial, whether
treated or not flows through Najafgarh and Shahadra
drains which are the largest polluters of the river.
The cleaning of polluted Yamuna , under YAP-I and YAP-II,
was carried out in accordance with the level of BOD of the
Yamuna.
Under these two phases 286 schemes were completed in
21 towns in Delhi, U.P and Haryana at a cost of
Rs.1,453.17 crore.
These schemes also consisted of 39 sewage treatment
plants under which sewage treatment capacity of 767.25
MLD had been created.
The Teri report has described that the YAP’s may not be
100% successful in improving water quality but it is true
that the water quality has not deteriorated after its
implementation.
2. Diagnostic Evaluation and Preparation of the
Reference Information for River Restoration in South
Korea, February-2021
Authors: Chi Hong Lim , Jeong Hoon Pi , A Reum Kim ,
Assessed
Hyun Je Cho the naturalness of rivers based on the riparian
vegetation index throughout the national territory of South
Korea as a preparatory process for restoration to improve the
ecological quality of rivers.
Asian countries, including Korea, where rice is a staple food,
have lost many riparian ecosystems because of the
transformation of most of the floodplains into rice paddies or
urban areas.
Consequently, the riverine landscape has been degraded to a
poor and unstable state.
The community and species diversities were low, and the
vegetation profile was monotonous because herbaceous
plants, including exotic or obligate upland plants, dominated
the riparian vegetation, which is usually the result of a
substantial reduction in the breadth of a river.
Today, riparian ecosystems are reevaluated as very
significant ecological spaces from various perspectives that
include pollution control, biodiversity conservation, and
disaster protection.
RESTORATION APPROACHES AND TECHNIQUES
Form-based restoration:
Form-based stream restoration promotes the modification of
a stream channel to improve stream conditions.
Targeted outcomes can include improved water quality,
enhanced fish habitat and abundance, as well as increased
bank and channel stability.
Installation of in-stream structures:
1. Deflectors
Deflectors are generally wooden
or rock structures installed at a
bank toe and extending towards
the center of a stream, in order
to concentrate stream flow away
from its banks.
2. Cross-vanes and related
structures
Cross-vanes are "U"-shaped
structures made of boulders or logs,
built across the channel to
concentrate stream flow in the
center of the channel and thereby
reduce bank erosion.
[Link], step pools and grade-control structures
These structures, which
can be built with rocks or
wood (logs or woody debris),
gradually lower the elevation
of the stream and dissipate
flow energy, thereby reducing
flow velocity.
[Link] log jams
Log jams add diversity to the
water flow by creating riffles,
pools, and temperature
variations.
Bank stabilization:
Bank stabilization is
achieved through the
installation
of riprap, gabions or through
the use
of revegetation and/or
bioengineering methods,
which relies on the use of live
plants to build bank
stabilizing structures.
Other channel-
reconfiguration
techniques
Channel reconfiguration
involves the physical
modification of the Featured Project: Middle Fork John Day River
stream. Channel Relocation and Riparian Restoration
Process-based restoration:
Process-Based Restoration (PBR) is an approach to
stream and river restoration that mimics sediment
transport, wood recruitment and transport, beaver dam
building, and other natural processes to achieve
restoration goals.
ADVANTAGES OF RIVER RESTORATION
Improve water quality
Mitigate habitat loss
Increase accessibility
Social and Health Values
Restored Rivers and Canals
Provide Recreation
The Health Value of
Waterways to the Population
DISADVANTAGES OF RIVER RESTORATION
There is a risk of flooding. River restoration can result in the
unwanted water overflowing onto the land and damaging
farmland and other assets.
There may be a loss in wildlife due to its fragmentation.
There may be an increase in erosion.
There could be a change in water quality due to increased
erosion and runoff, leading to an increase in sedimentation
and nitrogen loading which can lead to water pollution,
depending on where the project was located.
It could result in loss of biodiversity if not done properly
(for example if fish stocks were not properly monitored or
managed).
CONCLUSION
River restoration can be beneficial to both people and
wildlife by increasing biodiversity, providing a more stable
environment for people to live and thrive in. It is important
to carry out research and obtain expert advice before
considering river restoration, as the risks could outweigh
the benefits in some regions depending on how it is
carried out. Good management of any project is essential
in order to minimize these negative impacts which will
ultimately lead to a healthier environment for all
creatures, including our own species, who depend on
these rivers for clean water, food and other resources we
utilize each day.
REFERENCES
Kail, J.; Brabec, K.; Poppe, M.; Januschke, K. The effect of
river restoration on fish, macroinvertebrates and aquatic
macrophytes: A meta-analysis. Ecol. Indic. 2015, 58, 311–
321
Kosuth, P.; Tormos, T.; Cernesson, F.; Lalande, N.;
Villeneuve, B. Assessing the role of riparian vegetation and
land use on river ecological status, using remote sensing
and spatial modelling. In Proceedings of the 7th European
Conference on Ecological Restoration, Avignon, France, 23–
27 August 2010.
Areendran, G. N.A. Yamuna action plan, Indira Gandhi
Conservation Monitoring Centre, World Wide Fund for
Nature-India,< [Link] Accessed on
12th November 2010
CSE, 2009. State of pollution in Yamuna, Centre for
science and environment, Delhi, India
THANK YOU