GWP Consulting Partners Meeting Ecosystems and Water Security

Integrated Drought Management Programme Demo Projects Richard Muller, GWP Central and Eastern Europe

Port of Spain, Trinidad, 27 June 2014

Integrated Drought Management Programme in Central and Eastern Europe

“In terms of water resources management and climate change adaptation, countries in Central and Eastern

Europe are sensitive to variability and changing precipitation patterns...increased frequency and severity

of extreme weather events – increase of droughts.” (IPCC)

Need for regional and national drought policies & plans

from reactive to proactive approach integrated approach

Regional Cooperation

National Planning

Demonstration Projects

Capacity Development

Knowledge & Awareness

Partnership & Sustainability

Increase the capacity of the region to adapt to climatic variability by

enhancing resilience to drought

Partners

National Scientific Center for Global Changes (BG)

Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation (CZ)

10 Country Water Partnerships & 40 Partner Organizations

University of Debrecen (HUN)

Vilnius University (LT)

Institute of Ecology and Geography (MD)

Institute of Agricultural and Forest Environment (PL)

Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (PL)

National Meteorological Administration (ROM)

Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute

Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute (SK)

Slovenian Forestry Institute

Biotechnical Faculty (SLO)

Limnos Ltd. (SLO)

Ukrainian Research Institute of Forest and Forest Melioration (UA)

Testing innovative solutions

Innovations that address critical water security challenges to enhance drought resilience of countries and communities

Collecting and analyzing data through demonstration projects contributes to knowledge sharing and capacity development

Different aspects of drought management and involvement of different sectors

Results feed into Good Practice Compendium, Drought Management Guidelines, GWP ToolBox

Mitigation measure – buffer extreme variability in water quantity (release/use of water during dry periods)

Improves water retention potential of the landscape

Examples: small dikes and polders, restoration of wetlands, changes in forest and agricultural practices

Guidelines: combine drought mitigation, flood protection and biodiversity conservation

Natural small water retention measures

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia

Limnos; 2013

Limnos; 2013

Revitalization of the river stream

Retention of the agricultural runoff

Supported by European Commission, DG ENV

Green Infrastructure Communication

Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources

Natural Water Retention Measures Initiative www.nwrm.eu

Integrating ecosystem services into Water Framework Directive

Natural small water retention measures

Tests methods for improving water infiltration into soil profile

Field experiments with mixture of different „techniques“: sub-soiling, with and without tillage, composting tillage, organic fertilizers applications, to improve soil structure

Practical examples of soil water holding capacity regulations + how to include proposals into Drought Management Plans or already existing agro-environmental plans

Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland

Increasing soil water holding capacity

Laboratory rain simulator; CZ

Mihelic; Sloenia

Increasing soil water holding capacity

Bulgaria, Ukraine, Slovenia, Lithuania

Drought impact on forest ecosystems

Four countries with forest area 35% of total forest in the region

Forests have significant impact on water regime

Analysis of forest ecosystems – vulnerability zones of the forest vegetation for the present climate (61-90) and for the year 2050 and 2100 (different scenarios: realistic, optimistic, pessimistic)

Measures for adaptation for different zones (high level of vulnerability, low level)

http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/IDMPCEE/