IW:LEARN Regional Training Workshop for Latin America/Caribbean How can river basin management meet the needs of people and economic development alongside protection of the environment? This is the main challenge facing sustainable development in river basins today where dams or surface water abstraction have modified flows. Environmental flows are being applied in an expanding number of basins worldwide to meet this challenge. Environmental flows entails setting allocations of water between uses, whether for agriculture, hydropower, cities or sustaining wetlands and fisheries. Amounts allocated and the timing of flows are set using participatory processes, based on assessments of the social, economic and environmental impacts of alternate flow regimes. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and GEF-IW:LEARN, in partnership with the World Bank Institute, are holding a training workshop.