TOWARDS A GLOBAL WATER CYCLECOMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

RICK LAWFORDGEO UIC MEETING

OTTAWASEPTEMBER, 2006

MAJOR IMPACTS OF THE GLOBAL WATER CYCLE

: THE GLOBAL WATER CYCLE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:

MAJOR UNCERTAINTIES INCLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONSDUE TO CLOUD PARAMETERIZATIONS

MAJOR REGIONAL AND GLOBALISSUES RELATED TO SECURITY,STABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.

DEMAND WILLEXCEED SUPPLYOVER MANY AREASBY 2030 – 2050.

(After J. Rodda)

WA

TE

R R

ES

OU

RC

ES

(K

M3)

TOTAL

ACCESSIBLE

POLLUTION LOSS

Promote Securing WaterSupplies

Promote Technology Transfer

Secure 3 Billion m3 ofAdditional WaterSupplies per Year

by 2011

Practical Use ofAdvancedTechnology

Resolve the National Water Shortage Problem by ImprovingWater Resources Planning and Operation

Technology forHydrologic and HydraulicInvestigation andModeling, DamDevelopment and RiverManagement

Technology forInvestigation, Monitoring,Modeling andDevelpment

Technology for Water Reuse,Leakage Control, Rainwater Use andDesalination

IntegratedWater

ResourcesManagement

SurfaceWater

Groundwater

AlterntiveWater

Resources

Observations andAssimilation Products

ONE ROLE FOR DATAIN THE DECISION PROCESSIN THE WATER SECTOR.

EXAMPLE OF THE ROLE OF WATER DATAIN WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

OBSERVATIONS

IMPROVED CAPABILITYTO ASSIMILATE AND PREDICT

INTEGRATED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS

THE VISION: A NEW EPOCH OF WATER MANAGEMENTIN OUR LIFETIMES THAT IS FACILITATED BYOBSERVATIONS.

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Lan

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tmos

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cf. Sorooshian

UNESCO

WMO

WCRP

ICSU IGOS-P

CEOS

CEOPHELP

IGWCO

IOC

IGBP

WATER

GWSP

IHDP

GEWEX

WRAP

A WATER CYCLE ACTIVITY COULD BRING TOGETHER THE OBSERVATIONAL INTERESTS OF THE LARGE FAMILY OF

ORGANIZATIONS DEALING WITH WATER

WWAP

NOT CONNECTED (ON THIS FIGURE): THORPEX, GWP, DIALOGUE ON WATER, WWF

GHP

GAPP CSEs

DIVERSITAS

IHP

WCP-WATER

IAHS

Rick LawfordC 2/01/03

CLiC

PUB

GCOS

CLIVAR

WATER CYCLE CP

OBJECTIVES (I):1. TO SUPPORT THE WATER SECTOR BY FACILITATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE OBSERVATIONS AND THE USE OF DATA PRODUCTS DERIVED FROM THESE OBSERVATIONS.2. TO MAXIMIZE THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS IN THE WATER SECTOR COMING FROM EARTH OBSERVATIONS.3. TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS OF EARTH OBSERVATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF WATER RESOURCES.4. TO DEVELOP ASSESSMENTS AND STATEMENTS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF WATER CYCLE OBSERVATIONS.5. TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR DISCUSSION ON NEW APPROACHES TO WATER MANAGEMENT NEEDED TO MORE FULLY UTILIZE EARTH OBSERVATIONS AND PRODUCTS.

6. TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR THE WATER CYCLE COMMUNITY TO DEFINE NEEDS FOR FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANCILLARY PRODUCTS AND NEEDS. 7. TO FACILITATE THE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE WATER SECTOR AND OTHER SOCIETAL BENEFIT AREAS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DATA PRODUCTS.8. TO IDENTIFY THE RESEARCH NEEDED TO DEVELOP AND EXPLOIT THE OBSERVATIONAL CAPABILITIES AND DATA PRODUCTS.

BENEFITS:

1. USERS WOULD BE EDUCATED ON THE DATA, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AVAILABLE FROM THE EARTH OBSERVATIONS COMMUNITY.

2. LINKS WOULD BE BUILT WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NEED OF, OR CONTRIBUTE TO, WATER CYCLE INFORMATION.

3. STATEMENTS OF PRIORITIES FOR GEO, SPACE AGENCIES AND THE EARTH OBSERVATION COMMUNITY WOULD COORDINATED AND COHERENT.

4. THE NEEDS OF SEVERAL WATER PROGRAMS (E.G., IGWCO) WOULD BE SERVED AS WELL AS GEO BY BRINGING TOGETHER USERS AND DATA PROVIDERS IN THE WATER SECTOR.

LINKS TO OTHER SOCIETAL BENEFIT AREAS

CLIMATE: FEEDBACKS FROMWATER VAPOR, CLOUDS ANDLAND SURFACE FLUXES ARE THE MAJOR UNCERTAINTIESIN CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS.

WEATHER: PRECIPITATIONAND CLOUD PREDICTION ARE PRIMARY FORECASTVARIABLES THAT NEED THESUPPORT OF THEOBSERVATIONAL PROGRAMS.

Uncertainty of Uncertainty of Climate PredictionsClimate Predictions

Annual PrecipitationAnnual Precipitation (Hadley and Max Planck Climate Models,(Hadley and Max Planck Climate Models,

2070s, A2 Scenario) 2070s, A2 Scenario)

AGRICULTURE: WATER ISA CRITICAL CONTRIBUTOR TOAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY.

ENERGY: THE WATER ANDENERGY CYCLE OF THEATMOSPHERE CONTROLMOST OF THE SOURCES OFRENEWABLE ENERGY(CLOUDS-SOLAR; WIND-WIND;WATER-HYDRO)

HEALTH: WATER BORNEDISEASES AND DISEASECAUSED BY THE LACK OFCLEAN WATER ARE AMAJOR CAUSE OFMORTALITY IN THEDEVELOPING WORLD.

ECOSYSTEMS: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR WATEREXIST FOR ALL ECOSYSTEMS.INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO ADVISE ON WATER STRESSAND ON THE DEGREE TOWHICH LONG-TERM NEEDSCAN BE MET.

Estimates of Global Morbidity and Mortality of Water-Related Diseases

(early 1990s)

episodes/year or peopleinfected

deaths/year

Diarrheal Diseases 1,000,000,000 3,300,000

Intestinal Helminths 1,500,000,000 (people infected) 100,000

Schistosomiasis 200,000,000 (people infected) 200,000

Dracunculiasis 150,000 (in 1996)

Trachoma 150,000,000 (active cases)

Malaria 400,000,000 1,500,000

Dengue Fever 1,750,000 20,000

Poliomyelitis 114,000

Trypanosomiasis 275,000 130,000

Bancroftian Filariasis 72,800,000 (people infected)

Onchocerciasis 17,700,000 (people infected;

270,000 blind)

40,000 (mortality caused

by blindness)

Source: Table 2.2 from "The World’s Water." Data from World Health Organization, 1995, "Community Water

Supply and Sanitation: Needs, Challenges and Health Objectives." 48th World Health Assembly,A48/INF.DOC./2,28 April, Geneva, Switzerland.

THIS CONNECTION DOES NOT REPLACE THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THEWATER AND HEALTH COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, BUT IT ONLYPROVIDES THE CONTEXT WITHIN THE WATER SECTOR FOR DEALING WITH REQUESTS FROM THE WATER AND HEALTH CP.

(PFRA?)

DISASTERS: WATER CYCLE DISASTERS (FLOODS ANDDROUGHTS) REQUIREACCESS TO IMPROVED FLOOD FORECAST AND MONITORINGSERVICES.

BIODIVERSITY: TRENDS IN BIODIVERSITY ARE SENSITIVETO TRENDS IN WATERQUALITY AND CHANGES IN WATER QUANTITY.

VARIABLEVARIABLE HOR. RESHOR. RES VERT RESVERT RES ACCURACYACCURACY

PRECIPITATIONPRECIPITATION 10-50 km10-50 km 0.1 mm/ h0.1 mm/ h

SOIL MOISTURESOIL MOISTURE 10-100 km10-100 km 10 cm (30 cm)10 cm (30 cm) 5%5%

STREAMFLOWSTREAMFLOW B: 1-10 KMB: 1-10 KM 1 cm (*)1 cm (*) 5% (m5% (m33/s)/s)

LAKE LEVELSLAKE LEVELS 1-10 km1-10 km 1 cm1 cm 5% (cms)5% (cms)

SNOW COVERSNOW COVER 1-10 km1-10 km 10%10%

CLOUDSCLOUDS 100 m – 10 km100 m – 10 km .1 km.1 km 5% cover5% cover

WATER VAPORWATER VAPOR 10 – 100 km10 – 100 km .1 km.1 km 5%5%

SURFACE FLUXSURFACE FLUX 10 – 100 km10 – 100 km 5%5%

SW RADIATIONSW RADIATION 4 – 100 km4 – 100 km 5 W/m5 W/m22

PARTIAL LISTING OF WATER CYCLE DATA REQUIREMENTS

A COMPLETE TABLE IS PROVIDED IN THE THEME REPORT.

BUT WHAT DO THE USERS THINK? WE NEED A WATER CYCLE CP TO ADVISE.

WATER CYCLE MEASUREMENTS WILL HAVE GLOBAL WATER CYCLE MEASUREMENTS WILL HAVE GLOBAL BENEFITS IF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GAIN THE BENEFITS IF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES GAIN THE

CAPABILITY OF USING THESE DATA CAPABILITY OF USING THESE DATA (C (Capacity Building – Technology, Education/Trainingapacity Building – Technology, Education/Training

and Field Applications) and Field Applications)

- Developing nations should be provided with the hardware and software to access all IGWCO data products and forecasts.- Training materials should be developed and sessions carried out in developing countries.

THE WATER CYCLE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE COULD PROVIDE A MORECOMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TOCAPACITY BUILDING.

+

=

EMERGENCY REPSONSECOMMUNITY

PLANNING AND MONITORING

(E.G., WATER QUALITY)

OPERATIONAL MODELING AND FORECASTING

COMMUNITY

RESEARCHCOMMUNITY

EARTH OBSERVATIONCOMMUNITY

WATER MANAGERS

A WATER CYCLEGEOSS

COMMUNITY OFPRACTICE

SCOPE OF THE WATER CYCLE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

DATA

DATA PRODUCTS

COMMUNITY OFPRACTICE

GEO

UIC

SPACEAGENCIES

UN WATERAND AGENCIES

OTHERCPS

NATIONALPROGRAMS

SUPPORT

ADVICE

AD

VIC

E

WATER CYCLE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE LINKAGES

PARTICIPANTS,SUPPORT

COLLABORATION

ADVICE

INDUSTRY

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REGIONAL ELEMENTS EXIST:- “SOLUTIONS” IN USA- “WATCH” AND WATERNET IN EUROPE- REGIONAL COMMITTEES IN CHINA AND JAPAN.

GROUPS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED A COMMITMENT TOPARTICIPATING IN THE GWC CP

BRITISH SPACE AGENCYCANADIAN AGRICULTURE AND AGRIFOOD DEPARTMENTCANADIAN DROUGHT RESEARCH INITIATIVECANADIAN CENTER FOR REMOTE SENSINGCATHALACCHINESE METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATIONCPTEC (BRAZIL)EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCYFINNISH METEORLOGICAL INTITUTE GEODETIC COMMUNITYGLOBAL ENERGY AND WATER CYCLE PROJECT (GEWEX)GLOBAL WATER SYSTEM PROJECT (GWSP) INTEGRATED GLOBAL WATER CYCLE OBSERVATIONS THEMEINTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCESINTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABEL DEVELOPMENT (IISD)ISRO (INDIA)

JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCYNATIONAL AERONAUTIC AND SPACE AGENCY (NASA)NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTONUNIVERSITY OF BERKLEYUNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO)WORLD AQUARIUM (ST LOUIS)WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (HWR)WMO COMMISSION ON HYDROLOGY

TIMELINE FOR DEVELOPMENT

DECEMBER 2006: COMPLETE THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE CP PLAN

FEBRUARY 2007: ESTABLISH A CP EXECUTIVE AND A PLANNING COMMITTEE

MARCH 2007: FINALIZE THE CP REPORT.

APRIL 2007: ESTABLISH A WATER CYCLE CP WEB PAGE

SUMMER TO FALL 2007: HOLD A WC CP WORKSHOP/MEETING

FALL 2007: INITIATE SEVERAL WATER CYCLE CP PROJECTS, WITH ONE OR TWO IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN COLLABORATION WITH CAPACITY BUILDING EFFORTS.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. THE UIC ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE FURTHER DEVELOPENT OF THE WC CP.

2. THE UIC RECOGNIZE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS CP IN ITS DOCUMENTS.

3. THE UIC PROVIDE COMMENTS ON THE PRIORITIES AND STRUCTURE OF THIS CP AS IT DEVELOPS.

ONE LAST THOUGHT:THE WATER CYCLE CP NEEDS A SECRETARIAT. CANADA IS A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN MANY WATERAREAS. WOULD THE CANADIAN GEO SECRETARIATBE INTERESTED IN BEING THE WC CP SECRETARIAT?