Related EU Projects

This article discussed social learning as a means to implement integrated water resources management (IWRM). Implementing IWRM requires cooperation between policy sectors, countries, government bodies, the civic sector and scientific disciplines. The social learning approach suggests several ingredients for such cooperation. The article discusses how water managers and the other stakeholders need to realise their dependence on each other for reaching their own goals, before they start interacting, sharing their problem perceptions and developing different potential solutions. It also highlights that to achieve such results, the development of mutual trust, recognition of diversity and critical self-reflection is required amongst water managers and stakeholders. However, stakeholders must take joint decisions and make the necessary arrangements for implementation. The social learning approach to IWRM had several implications for the IWRM ToolBox of the GWP. Social learning is not a magic solution for all problems, but there is sufficient evidence that it can work.

Mostert, E., Craps, M. and Pahl-Wostl, C. (2008). Social learning: the key to integrated water resources management?. Water International, [online] 33(3), pp.293-304. Available at:

https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/408705/1/Mostert,+Craps+%26+Pahl+(2006)+SL+key+to+IWRM.pdf [Accessed 31 Jan. 2018].

This study involves the testing of a framework for multi-criteria modelling and support of multi-stakeholder decision processes within the context of developing a new water level management policy for a regulated lake river system in Finland.

In this framework the stakeholders were involved in the decision process from the problem structuring stage to the group consensus seeking stage, followed by a stage of seeking public acceptance for the policy. The framework aimed at creating an evolutionary learning process. In this paper, focus was also on the use of a new interactive method for finding and identifying Pareto-optimal alternatives. Role playing experiments with students were used to test the practical applicability of a negotiation support procedure called the method of improving directions. The study has also developed  a preference programming approach for the aggregation of the stakeholder opinions in the final evaluation of alternatives and group consensus seeking. This approach consists of individual prioritisations as well as group interval models and consensus seeking. In addition, the approach was previously studied in transport planning and nuclear power related settings.  

HÄMÄLÄINEN, R., KETTUNEN, E., EHTAMO, H. and MARTTUNEN, M. (2001). Evaluating a Framework for Multi-Stakeholder Decision Support in Water Resources Management. Group Decision and Negotiation, [online] 10(331–353). Available at: http://ftp://193.2.92.44/students/podipl/UVR/Hamalainen_et_al_2001.pdf [Accessed 31 Jan. 2018].

WeSenseIt has developed a citizen-based observatory of water, which allowed citizens and communities to become active stakeholders in information capturing, evaluation and communication.

The following was proposed:

(i) Data collection: (a) a first “hard” layer consisting of low-cost, static and portable devices that sense and transfer water information when automatically monitored or when initiated by citizens from their mobile devices; (b) a second “soft” layer consisting of techniques designed to harness citizens’ Collective Intelligence, i.e. the information, experience and knowledge embodied within individuals and communities, which enabled both direct messages to the authorities (with mobile-phone pictures, messages, etc.) as well as crowd-sourcing (e.g. by mining social networks like Twitter and Facebook, as well as bulletin boards, RSS feeds, etc.).

(ii) The development of descriptive and predictive models and decision-making tools which integrated sensor and citizen-based data; the data suppliers (physical sensors or people) were seen as nodes of an integrated heterogeneous data collection network which had undergone progressive multi-objective optimisation and tuning.
(iii) Two-way feedback and exchange of environmental knowledge/experience between citizens and authorities for decision-making and governance within an e-collaboration framework, has improved transparency, knowledge management, accountability and responsiveness and facilitated participation in water management.
The citizen observatory of water was tested and demonstrated in three different case studies in water management with civil protection agencies in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy. The topic was the entire hydrologic cycle, with a major focus on variables responsible for floods and drought occurrences.
 

The project results had the potential to fundamentally change the traditional concept of environmental monitoring and forecasting, as well as models of governance.

The BeWater project, supported by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, offered a unique opportunity to contribute to adaptation policy design and practices with experience-based knowledge. Four research institutes located in the cardinal points of the Mediterranean region partnered with expert organisations and members of the local communities to elaborate local adaptive water management plans. Innovative approaches were developed within the project to facilitate a truly science-society collaborative process to increase societal resilience to climate variability and change at the river basin scale.

The BeWater project provided innovative tools to facilitate the adaptation of river basins to global change via an active engagement of the local societies. The BeWater approach developed within the project focussed on creating a shared definition of what challenges needed to be targeted in the basin and then developing, assessing and prioritising a range of potential water management options to address these points along with pathways for their implementation. Four Mediterranean basins were part of the project, namely Pedieos (Cyprus), Vipava (Slovenia), Rmel (Tunisia) and Tordera (Catalonia, Spain). While each basin experienced the process slightly differently, all shared the common aim of introducing adaptation principles into water management at the river basin scale with stakeholder participation all along the process.

Adaptive management poses challenging questions that need to be tackled through methods and practices that have a solid theoretical framework but are still to be integrated into ordinary management procedures and policy design. Knowledge sharing and mutual learning between scientists, experts, decision-makers and local society have provided the needed basis for a truly participatory approach, offering a solid ground for capacity building, awareness raising and the development of concrete proposals in the form of adaptation plans for the four river basins. The process of co-production has proven to be able to deliver results with a high degree of social acceptance, political relevance and technical interest to tackle the uncertainties and complex nature of global change.

Throughout the design of the adaptation plans, common aspects, together with barriers and facilitators of their future implementation were observed. A handbook which provides guidelines on policy and practical considerations from the process was developed. The project may be considered as a strong reference for developing a participatory approach when designing river basin adaptation plans in other river basins, in Mediterranean countries and beyond.

Adaptation Plans:

Vipava River Basin Adaptation Plan

Tordera River Basin Adaptation Plan

Rmel River Basin Adaptation Plan

Pedieos River Basin Adaptation Plan

Handbook:

Developing Participatory Adaptation Plans for River Basins - a handbook

Policy Briefs:

Planning for climate change: Society as a key player in river basin adaptation

Policy recommendations for the EU level: Supporting participation in adaptive river basin management

Policy recommendations for the EU level: Recommendations for water management authorities within Europe and beyond

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for actions supporting adaptation in the Pedieos River Basin

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for actions supporting adaptation in the Vipava River Basin

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for implementation in the Rmel River Basin

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for action supporting adaptation in the Tordera River Basin

Deliverables – Reports:

D2.3 Guideline report on the BeWater approach outlining principles, methodology, concepts and protocols of the project

D3.1 Data integration in the Aquaknow platform

D4.1 - Compilation of best practice examples and experiences of adaptation plans

D4.2 Four draft adaptation plans, one for eachCSRB

D4.3. Four River Basin Adaptation Plans

D5.2 Project Website

D6.1 EU/AU Policy Instruments Review

D6.2. 1 st detailed cross-cutting Policy Sectors analysis -water and climate

D6.3 2nd Detailed Cross-cutting Policy Sectors Analysis - Water and Climate

D6.4 3rd detailed cross-cutting Policy Sectors analysis -water and climate

D.7.1 Study on national support mechanisms to international water management research

Dissemination material:

BeWater Brochure 2016

Publication in IMPACT Magazine

The lack of sustainable water use is a growing concern in Europe. Nowadays, the agricultural sector imposes a high pressure on water resources, especially in Mediterranean countries, where irrigation can represent up to 80% of the consumptive uses of water. Increasing water use efficiency in agriculture has been thus identified as one of the key themes relating to water scarcity and drought. It now becomes necessary to improve on-farm irrigation management by adjusting irrigation to crop water requirements along the growing season.
Modern irrigation agencies rely on in situ root zone soil moisture measurements to detect the onset of crop water stress and to trigger irrigations. However, in situ point measurements are generally not available over extended areas and may not be representative at the field scale.  Remote sensing can potentially provide cost-effective techniques for monitoring broad areas as there are currently no algorithms dedicated to monitor root zone soil moisture at the parcel scale.
REC proposes a solution to the need of root-zone soil moisture at the crop scale for irrigation management. It is based on an innovative operational algorithm that will allow for the first time to:
1) Map root zone soil moisture on a daily basis at the field scale; and
2) Quantitatively evaluate the different components of the water budget at the field scale from readily available remote sensing data.

The methodology relies on the coupling between a surface model representing the water fluxes at the land surface atmosphere interface (infiltration, evaporation, transpiration) and in soil (drainage); and remote sensing data composed of land surface temperature, and near-surface soil moisture retrieved from microwave radiometers and radars. These estimates will be integrated in an irrigation management system that will be used to trigger irrigation. In addition, these estimates will allow making an impact assessment of the consumptive use of water and water footprint.

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - REC (Root zone soil moisture Estimates at the daily and agricultural parcel scales for Crop irrigation management and water use impact – a multi-sensor remote sensing approach) - http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/203540_en.html

The innovative IMAGINES project has developed activities to support the operations of the Copernicus Global Land Service (CGLS), and prepared the use of the Sentinels missions’ data in an operational context.

The main objectives of IMAGINES were to:

(i) improve the retrieval of basic biophysical variables (Terrestrial Essential Climate Variables), mainly Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) and surface albedo, by merging the information coming from different sensors (PROBA-V and Landsat-8) in view to prepare the use of Sentinel missions’ data;

(ii) develop qualified software able to process multi-sensor data at the global scale on a fully automatic basis;

(iii) complement and contribute to existing or future agricultural services by providing new data streams relying upon an original method to assess the above-ground biomass, based on the assimilation of satellite products in a Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) in order to monitor the crop/fodder biomass production together with the carbon and water fluxes;

(iv) demonstrate the added value of this contribution for a community of users acting at global, European, national, and regional scales.

Moreover, IMAGINES has favoured the emergence of new downstream activities dedicated to the monitoring of crop and fodder production that are key for the implementation of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, the food security policy, and could contribute to the Global Agricultural Geo-Monitoring Initiative (GEOGLAM) coordinated by the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO).

IMAGINES has delivered the following deliverables:

(i) operational processing lines interoperable with the existing CGLS infrastructure and able to run automatically at the global scale to generate global biophysical products disseminated by the CGLS

(ii) regional high resolution biophysical variables derived from multi-sensor satellite data

(iii) agricultural indicators, including the above-ground biomass, carbon and water fluxes, and drought indices resulting in the assimilation of the biophysical variables in the LDAS

(iv) maps of crop group and crop types updated along the season

(v) in situ measurements collected during 64 field campaigns over 23 different sites from 2013 to June 2016, resulting in 40 high resolution ground-based maps of LAI, FAPAR and FCover (http://www.fp7-imagines.eu/pages/services-and-products/ground-data.php) used, in the CGLS, for the validation of moderate resolution biophysical products.

Better satellite technology helps read the ground more effectively - http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/198785_en.html

The project eartH2Observe brings together the findings from European Framework Programme (FP) projects DEWFORA, GLOWASIS, WATCH, GEOWOW and others. It has integrated available global earth observations (EO), in situ datasets and models and constructed a global water resources re-analysis dataset of significant length (several decades). The resulting data enabled improved insights on the full extent of available water and existing pressures on global water resources in all parts of the water cycle.

The project supported efficient and globally consistent water management and decision making by providing comprehensive multi-scale (regional, continental and global) water resources observations. It has also tested new EO data sources, extended existing processing algorithms and combined data from multiple satellite missions in order to improve the overall resolution and reliability of EO data included in the re-analysis dataset. The usability and operational value of the developed data was verified and demonstrated in a number of case-studies across the world, which aimed to improve the efficiency of regional water distribution. The case-studies were conducted together with local end-users and stakeholders. Regions of interest cover multiple continents, a variety of hydrological, climatological and governance conditions and differ in the degree of data richness (e.g. the Mediterranean and Baltic region, Ethiopia, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh).

The data was disseminated through an open data Water Cycle Integrator portal to ensure an increased availability of global water resources information on both regional and global scale. The data portal was the European contributor to the existing GEOSS water cycle platforms and communities. Project results were actively disseminated using a combination of traditional methods (workshops, papers, website and conferences) and novel methods such as E-learning courses and webinars that promote the use of the developed dataset.

Periodic Report Summaries:

Periodic Summary Report 1 - http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/176873_en.html

Periodic Summary Report 2 – http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/201682_en.html

Dissemination material:

Leaflet number 1 - http://cordis.europa.eu/docs/results/603/603608/periodic1-e2o_leaflet-no1_en_web.pdf

Newsletter issue 1 - Link

Newsletter issue 2 - Link

Publications:

Publication - Link

Publication - Link

Publication - Link

Public Deliverables:

D2.2 – Review Report on European Policies - Link

D2.3 – Review Report on stakeholders and relevant policies in non-European case study river basins - Link

D2.4 – Gap analysis of data requirements in support of European policies - Link

D2.5 – Gap analysis of input data requirements in support of decision making of water allocation in (transboundary) basins - Link

D2.6 – Report on global scale assessment of physical and social water scarcity - Link

D3.1 – Inventory of Earth Observation datasets - Link

D3.2 – Draft Report on EO Datasets - Link

D3.3 – Release 1 of EO datasets - Link

D3.4 – Report of the Joint Workshop on WPs 3-4-5-6 - Link

D3.6 – Release 2 of EO Datasets - Link

D4.1 – Documentation on the baseline performance of the v1 E2O data - Link

D4.2 – Report on precipitation error modeling and ensemble error propagation using LSM and GHM models - Link

D5.1 – Report on the current state-of-the-art Water Resources Reanalysis (WRR1-tier 1) - Link
D8.7 – Policy Brief No. 1 -Link

Equitable and efficient water management and allocation, especially across country borders, needs accurate information on the use and availability of water resources in space and time. An operational monitoring system that covered the Incomati River Basin helped in fulfilling the need for transparency by providing quantified information on water use.

The “Spatial Earth Observation Monitoring for Planning and Water Allocation in the International Incomati Basin project” - or WatPLAN – set up such an operational monitoring system. This joint European Union-Africa GMES earth observation project combines earth observation and in situ data to provide near-real time quantified information at field scale on (agricultural) water need and consumption.

The joint efforts of a consortium of international Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and universities have resulted in a unique operational monitoring system that is capable of providing weekly quantified information at field scale by using the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model. This model has been applied and evaluated in more than 30 countries including many African countries. The energy balance describes how solar energy is distributed; part is reflected or absorbed by the surface, and part is used for plant growth. These components of the energy balance can be derived from satellite data using the model to quantify an important component of the water cycle - Evapotranspiration (ET). Subsequently, biomass production, actual-, and potential water consumption, and water deficit are derived on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

Rainfall is another important parameter within the project and is derived by combining microwave data from the FEWS-NET sensor with in situ rainfall data measured using low cost meteorology stations installed as part of the project. These data products provide valuable insight in various aspects of the water balance important for water management. Such aspects include the distribution of renewable water resources, crop yield and water productivity.

For instance, these data products can be used by technical committees and agencies, irrigation boards and farmers and also for water accounting. Water accounting contributes to better water allocation, verification of water use and sustainable utilisation of scarce water resources.

Final Report - http://cordis.europa.eu/docs/results/262949/final1-watplan-final-report.pdf

In light of the real need to practically improve the environmental performance of irrigation systems and to prevent the misuse of water, ENORASIS project developed an intelligent irrigation Decision Support System (ENORASIS Service Platform and Components), which enables sustainable irrigation management for farmers and water management organizations.

ENORASIS is a server-based system that gathers data from satellite observations and field equipment (wireless sensor networks), that uses the next-generation weather prediction model Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) to provide high spatial accuracy estimations for precipitation. It combines all this information with specific crop characteristics (using FAO56 model) to produce daily optimal irrigation advice that is communicated to farmers via web or mobile. Accordingly, farmers may use this real-time information to schedule irrigation activities also in interaction with other cultivation tasks and monitor water consumption both in terms of quantity and cost. Water Management Authorities may use water consumption monitoring data to estimate short and long term pressures on water reservoirs, set water prices as drivers for sustainable irrigation and apply pricing schemes that incorporate the real costs of water (in accordance with the Water Framework Directive - WFD).

The project has achieved the development of the ENORASIS platform and other components (such as the Meteo Analysis Tool, Wireless Sensor Network - WSN, Digital Signature Standard - DSS algorithm). In addition, interfaces with billing systems and the relative subsystems and functionalities were also developed. Web and mobile ENORASIS users’ interfaces and Geographic Information System (GIS) application of ENORASIS were prepared, with a friendly, easy-to-use layout targeted to end-users’ needs.

The ENORASIS system has been tested for 2 cultivation periods in 5 pilot implementations covering 9 different crops, 4 different climatic conditions and 2 operational approaches. The performance of pilots was validated and assessed against specific Key Performance Indicators. Four policy workshops, three scientific ones and a final conference have been organised with around 500 participants in total, accomplishing proper dissemination of the project and its results and contributing to policy dialogue about sustainable irrigation management in Europe.

Dissemination material:

ENORASIS leaflet - Link

ENORASIS Poster 1 - Link

ENORASIS Poster 2 - Link

ENORASIS 1st Info Factsheet - Link

ENORASIS 1st Newsletter - Link

ENORASIS A1 Poster first presented in STEP-WISE and STREAM Final Conference - Link

ENORASIS 2nd Info Factsheet - Link

ENORASIS 3rd Info Factsheet - Link

ENORASIS 4th Info Factsheet - Link

ENORASIS 2nd Newsletter - Link

ENORASIS 3rd Newsletter - Link

ENORASIS 4th Newsletter - Link

ENORASIS 5th Newsletter - Link

Project Deliverables:

D1.1 SOTA Report - Link

D1.2 Agricultural Process Analysis Report – Link

D2.1 Report on Irrigation Water Governance in the context of WFD and CAP - Link

D2.2 ENORASIS Business Models - Link

D2.3 ENORASIS Platform Use Case Scenarios and User Requirements - Link

D5.2 ENORASIS User Manual - Link

D5.3 ENORASIS Technical Documentation - Link

D6.1 Pilot Implementation Guidelines - Link

D6.2 Pilots' Interim Report - Link

D6.3 Pilots' Final Report - Link

D6.4 Pilots Assessment Report - Link

D7.4 Report on ENORASIS Events (scientific/ policy workshops) - Link

D7.5 Report on ENORASIS Events (final conference) - Link

D7.14 Policy Recommendations for Decision Makers and Water Management Organisations (Policy brief) - Link

Wastewater reuse is currently considered globally as the most critical element of sustainable water management. Water scarcity, foreseen to aggravate, pushes for maximum utilization of non-conventional water. Although reuse is accompanied by a number of benefits, several potential drawbacks still puzzle scientists. The applied treatments fail to completely remove microcontaminants, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and/or their genes (ARB&Gs). Knowledge on the actual effects of reuse with regard to these aspects is currently not consolidated. This Action will answer critical questions through a European multidisciplinary network, structured in interactive Working Groups (WGs), to achieve: a) identification of the microbiome and mobile antibiotic resistome in treated wastewater, b) assessment of the potential for uptake/transmission of microcontaminants and ARB&Gs in crops, c) determination of effect-based bioassays required for wastewater reuse, d) identification of efficient/economically viable technologies able to meet the current challenges and, e) development of a relevant risk assessment and policy framework. The Action will establish criteria on technologies/assessment methods for wastewater treatment and suggest new effluent quality criteria to overcome current barriers and safeguard the reuse practice. The Action will have a major impact on the enhancement of sustainable wastewater reuse in light of current challenges at technological, economical and societal level.