WP 1 - WATER RESOURCES SUSTAINABILITY

WATER RESOURCES SUSTAINABILITY

 
Objectives
The overall objective of WP1 is to contribute to the opening of the UMI to the European partners and to the project of the SWC through the deepening and expansion of the ongoing collaboration between the Hydrology and Water Resources and the Atmospheric departments of UA with the UMI n°2 “Sustainable Water Resources” thematic area. This collaboration on water resources sustainability started in 2009 (joint publications, seminars, workshops, bilateral exchange program). For the SWAN project, the main focus is in the development of a holistic and integrative approach to decision making under conditions of uncertainty and climate change, based on a coupling of the physical and social sciences.
Within SWAN, WP1 will facilitate a meaningful synthesis of policy-making and hydrologic modeling under climate change, combining UA expertise with that of the partner institutions.
Specific objectives include:
  • to host with UMI the European partners to develop joint activities (seminars, workshops and stakeholders workshops),
  • to develop sustainable and agreed-upon management scenarios for addressing the problems of basin wide and urban water planning under conditions of climate change,
  • to coordinate a participatory framework among scientists and with local and European stakeholders (decision-makers, managers),
  • to propose potential new partners, criteria and process of integration.
 
Description of work and role of partners
 
WP1 will be led by partner 2 (UA) with substantial input from the ongoing activities with UMI and will involve all the European partners: partner 4 (climate change/water demand); partner 3 (governance and participation), partner 5 (modeling and visualization) and partner 6 (stakeholders/education)
 
Task 1-1: Scientific foundations for interdisciplinary research
WP1 will organize the expansion of the current joint research with UMI, associating the European partners. Climate change and uncertainty, water risks (i.e. floods) and vulnerabilities are the main thematic areas explored by UA and UMI. A strong potential to develop this thematic is expected due to the expertise of the European partners. Main activities of this task will be part of SWAN’s “central seminar”, a cycle of seminars, workshops and field research who will function as the backbone of the program. This task will be focused in making a balance of previous analysis, creating a common state of art, select case studies and draft the specific contribution of WP1 to the common SWAN agenda.
Month 1-12 with UMI and partners 3, 4, 5 and 6
 
Task 1-2: Integrative hydrological modeling under climate change
An assessment of available Climate Change projections for selected study regions will be performed using a broad multi-model simulations database (physical and social). A hybrid approach will be developed combining the strengths of statistical and dynamical downscaling methods to arrive at robust local-scale projections of regional and local scale weather. By processing these downscaled estimates through models of hydrologic and urban processes, key water management data can be generated to aid in water resources planning and management.
Modeling combining information from physical model/s with stakeholder driven of human and economic development will be used in combination with collaboratively developed future scenarios. (See task 1-3)
Activities of this task will be part of SWAN’s “central seminar” and will include lab research, seminars and workshops. All European students will collaborate with the integrative modeling approaches along with selected UA students.
Months 12-36, with UMI and partners 4, 5
 
Task 1-3: Establish and coordinate a participatory planning framework among scientists and stakeholders
The climate change assessment and modeling system described in task 1-2 will form the support structure for a participatory planning process that combines integrative modeling with structured stakeholder participation to facilitate the decision-makers and affected parties arriving at a common definition of relevant problems, scenarios and management alternatives. Three stakeholders workshops will be organized within this task: the first one will be held jointly at UMI and UWE (by teleconference, month 12); the second one will be held as part of the International Conference on Changing paradigms in urban water studies, management and education (D 4-2) and the third one at UMI. These workshops will lead decision-makers and stakeholders through a participatory planning process where, starting at the current status quo, they will collaboratively discuss and elaborate different management alternatives and strategies to cope with future changes in the relationships between water demand and availability.
Months 12-42, with UMI and partners 3, 5, 6
 
Deliverables
D 1.1: Working papers: “Climate change and uncertainty: connecting physical and social sciences”
D 2.2: Publication: “Integrative hydrological modeling under climate change”