Academia session WASH OP: Ricard Gine, UPC, 16th January UN Water Zaragoza Co...
Academia: Richard Lawford, Morgan State University, 16th January UN Water Zaragoza Conference 2015
1. Integrative and adaptive risk governance,
management and monitoring for SDG
implementation: Monitoring technologies to
support the Water SDG
Zaragoza, Spain
Water and Sustainable Development: From Vision to Action
January 16, 2015
Rick Lawford
2. Earth observations are needed to monitor water
short- and long-term environmental risks
2014: Tailings pond dam breach at the Mount
Polley mine (northern BC) released app.10
million cubic metres of water and 4.5 million
cubic metres of fine sand into Polley Lake.
Satellite image (2007)Lake
Major summer algal blooms (>15,000 km2) in Lake
Winnipeg resulting from the nutrients in the
agricultural runoff associated with phosphates and
nitrates in fertilizers used by farmers and in
domestic waste water from cities.
3. Some natural sources of environmental risk
Climate Change: The changes in atmospheric
composition of the atmosphere are leading to global
warming and changes in precipitation patterns.
The atmosphere has internal variability, including the
processes leading to extremes (drought and floods) that will
be enhanced by climate change.
Many environmental phenomena which impact water
resources are unpredictable (e.g., volcanoes, floods,
etc) Flood
4. Earth Observations:
foundation for knowledge and action
• Earth observations include:
1)Satellite data (global, periodic)
2)In-situ measurements (local,
frequent)
• Observations on the cusp:
1)Data Assimilation System outputs
2)Model outputs
3)Citizen observations (Big data)
Courtesy: NASA
Courtesy: Environment Canada
In-situ point measurements
may not always be
representative of an area
5. GEO - voluntary partnership of
governments and international
organizations
GEOSS - an integrating public
infrastructure, interconnecting a
diverse, growing array of Earth
observing instruments and
information systems
The international Water Task Target:
By 2015, produce comprehensive sets of data and information products to support
decision-making for efficient management of the world's water resources, based on
coordinated, sustained observations of the water cycle on multiple scales.
Components of the Water Task:
C1: Integrated Water-cycle Products and Services
C2: Information Systems for Hydro-meteorological Extremes (incl. Floods and Droughts)
C3: Information Service for Cold Regions
C4: Global Water-Quality Products and Services
C5: Information System Development and Capacity Building
6. The IGWCO CoP Structure provides a framework
for Implementation
Integrated Global Water Cycle Observations
Community of Practice Coordination
7. Contributions to the UN Water Indicator Review
• A number of indicators
related to the proposed
OWG’s SDGs have been
proposed and have been
evaluated.
• River Basins provide an
ideal monitoring unit for
water.
• New indicators could also
be proposed (e.g., floods,
sewage overflows and
health)
Red Basins have the highest domestic and
industrial WW per unit volume of water (WRI)
Problem for the Hue
Citadel in Viet Nam
8. Example of the use of GIS and layers to
combine EO and socio-economic data
Water accessibility: (combination of layers ‘a’
and ‘d’) Access measured in amount of energy
per capita (calories) needed to collect water,
highlighting access limitations due to terrain.
Also shows populations living on marginal land
without water access.
Water resources per person: (combination of
layers ‘b’ and ‘d’) Determines whether
underlying water resources (aquifer yield) can
meet demand of overlying population based
on 50 liters per person per day .
Areas with improved water access:
(combination of layers ‘c’ and ‘d’)
Displays 1-km LandScan areas that have
achieved water access per guidelines,
i.e. at least one access point per 1-
sq.km
(a) Digital Elevation Model
(DEM): Worldwide coverage
from NASA’s ASTER mission
with 30-meter resolution.
(b) Water Resource Map:
Aquifer yield data from
multiple sources.
(c) Improved water source
location: Location of wells
continually updated with new
water projects via interactive
Web 2.0 application.
(d) LandScan Population
Database: commercially
available 1-kilometer population
database updated yearly
(http://www.ornl.gov/sci/landscan
/landscan_data_avail.shtml).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
INPUT LAYERS: COMBINED OUTPUT LAYERS:
9. Target 6.3:
EOTT recommended indicator: A consolidated indicator of waste
water production, treatment and reuse/recycling
Rationale: AQUISTAT and national environment agencies have reliable
statistics for some countries but these data are limited. Estimates
generated by a global algorithm and validated by AQUISTAT data may
hold the greatest promise.
EO support for the indicator:
Population densities derived from Landsat
data can be combined with census data to
estimate waste water generation potential,
releases and their impacts.
1)
High resolution satellite images could
document the location of treatment
facilities.
2)
10. Target 6.3:
EOTT recommended indicator: Adoption of the UN Water
recommendation related to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution
producing algal blooms that accumulate in large lakes, water bodies and
coastal zones.
Rationale: The WQ indicators are complex and focused
on point data. While improving GEMSTAT data is desirable, an indicator
that provides information for every country is most desirable.
EO support for the indicator:
.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=84125
LANDSAT and MODIS data provide global data
on phytoplankton blooms and sedimentation
Hydrologic models can estimate the
movement and changes of concentrations
of pollutants (incl. N and Ph) in rivers
11. Target 6.4:
EOTT recommended indicator: The Water Use Efficiency Index and its
variation in time and by sector (as per the Water TT report).
Rationale: Water Use Efficiency is the critical indicator of the overall
target because it is foundational to the other objectives.
EO support for the indicator: EO can provide comprehensive
information on water availability starting with precipitation. It can also
be used to estimate the consumption of water through irrigation. Other
estimates can also be developed.
Irrigation estimated from ET in Arizona
Operational
satellite based
average
precipitation
product from NOAA
12. Target 6.5: IWRM
EOTT recommended indicator: Number of tools and data sets available
to support IWRM.
Rationale: Implementation of IWRM is very difficult and needs to be
enabled by the support of agencies and countries with this vision.
EO support for the indicator:
The availability and sharing of
satellite information is not
restricted by national boundaries
or national data policies.
Other basin-scale EO data relate to:
- Changes in water availability
- Water stress
- Storage capacity
- Climate Change impacts
Data from some nations
not available
Data needed
by basin
13. Target 6.6:
EOTT recommended indicator: Natural Water Capital Index
Rationale: This indicator is more relevant to water issues than other
ecosystem indicators. It also has ties to some of the overall issues of
Natural Capital and ecosystem services that the UN may consider.
EO support for the Indicator:
Groundwater variability
From NASA: variability in lake levels
EO can provide
water storage
in groundwater
and surface
stores (lakes)
and measures
of wetland and
ecosystem
extent
14. Table: Evaluation of EO applicability per Indicator type. Color Code: Green = High;
Yellow = Mid-range; Red = Low
Indicator/Param
eter Type
Selected by EO
applicability
EO+EO-BasedData
AssimilationModel
Relevance
OtherSocio-
Economic,and
Census/Statistical
DataRelevance
DirectMeasurability
Analytical
Soundness
Limitations
6.2 Waste Water Computed as a residual product using
EO
6.3 Water
Quality
For Nitrates, Phosphates and Algae,
Phytoplankton Blooms and Sediment
6.4 Water
Efficiency
Accurate Quantification of Water Use
and Type Required
6.5 Water
Resource
Management
Associated “management” inputs
combined with EO on Water
availability/change variables
6.6 Natural
Water Capital
Index
Resolution and accuracy is dependent
on type of parameter, data availability
and application
18. The Bottom Line for EO and SDGs
• Thesis: Just as surveys are cost effective reliable option
for JMP: EO can play the same role for expanded water
monitoring.
• Recommendation #1: Integrate EO into the planning of
those indicator monitoring activities where it makes
sense to do so – Scenario #2
• Recommendation #2: Launch a research activity to
prototype an indicator monitoring approach that takes
full advantage of the space and time resolutions of EO.
• Recommendation #3: Strengthen EO programmes so they
can better support the needs of the SD Agenda.
19. Challenges to implementing an EO-based monitoring system
1. Ensuring that an EO-based monitoring system maintains a minimum level of
continuity for the next 15 years.
2. Understanding the validation and spatial variations of indicators in different
climate regimes.
3. Developing the national level capabilities to exploit an EO-based monitoring
system (Capacity Development will be required).
4. Overcoming reluctance to adopt a more open approach to producing and
interpreting Water SDG indicators without substantial financial incentives.
5. Developing best practices for the interpretation of indicators on a range of
time scales
