scientific, technological and organisational obstacles facing hydrology dr kate heal school of...
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Scientific, technological and organisational obstacles facing
hydrology
Dr Kate Heal
School of GeoSciences
University of [email protected]
World water crisis
• > 40% world population living in water-scarce regions by 2025
• 12 million deaths from water-related diseases each year
• > 1 billion people continue to lack access to safe drinking water and ~ 3 billion lack adequate sanitation
• 2005-2015 UN Water Decade
The role of Hydrology?
• Hydrology can address these problems: BUT often overlooked
• To progress in hydrology need to identify obstacles to be overcome:
1. Scientific
2. Practical/technological
3. Organisational capacity & communication
IAHS Hydrology 2020 Working Group
• Group of 11”young” hydrologists”• Identify possible and recommended directions
for hydrology over the next 20 years• Report in 2005
Caterina Valeo
Susan HubbardJohan
Kuylenstierna
Scientific obstacles (1)
Incomplete understanding of hydrological processes and links with atmosphere/biosphere
– Especially vadose zone
flowing dry
River Darent, Kent
The State of England’s Chalk Rivers, Environment Agency, 2004
Scientific obstacles (2)
Data integration/scaling issues:– Scale-dependence of properties and
processes– Integrating data collected at different spatial
scales– Incorporating indirect data– Routine quantification of uncertainty
associated with parameter estimates
Overland flow Path
A
Roots
Macro-pores
Suppressed variable source area
Variable Source Area
Land drain
Critical Source Areas
Hydrologicallyconnected
Hydrologically disconnected
B
Lowland Intense Arable
Pasture and Livestock
Upland Forest
1 km 10 km
Topographically controlled VSA
Husbandry Controlled CSAs
D
10 m
1 m
C
Quinn et al. (2004), Scales in Hydrology and Water Management, IAHS Publ. 287, pp.17-38
Scientific obstacles (3)
Inability to predict hydrological processes and interactions
– Incomplete theory and data– Inadequate mathematical description of
complex process interactions– Practical methods for calibration and
assessing reliability not available– Uncertainty assessment overlooked
Practical/technological obstacles (1)
Access to data:• Free• Quick and easy
• Long-term commitment to establishing and maintaining monitoring networks
Practical/technological obstacles (2)
Worldwide water resources database:• Surface and groundwater• Capacity, water balances, runoff controls
GCOS (Global Climate Observing System), Feb 2005, Analysis of data exchange problems in global atmospheric and hydrological networks
Practical/technological obstacles (3)
Measurement technology:• Cheap, small, automated,
smart real-time sensors
• Satellite sensors with hydrological applications as primary goal lacking
• Calibration/evaluation standards for most monitoring tools lacking
• Tools not widely available
Practical/technological obstacles (4)
Treadle pump, Sri Lanka
Technologies for developing countries:• Small-scale technologies and approaches for
dealing with water supply and sanitation issues lacking
• Technology transfer • Minimal funds required but global
commitment lacking
Organisational capacity and communications obstacles
• Science poorly integrated into decision-making• Poor communication with decision makers• Inadequate management of water resources:
– Forecasting dynamic interactions between environmental, economic, social and cultural processes
– Natural boundaries– All stakeholders– Short- and long-term planning
• Lack of international coordinating body• Hydrological education too fragmented• Capacity building in developing countries weak
HMW improve predictive capabilities of hydrological processes/parameters?
Improve current validation & comparison
efforts
Reanalyse existing data
Improve data archiving
Appreciate data archiving as research contribution
Guidelines for collecting &
archiving hydrological data
Data access on web
Identify factors affecting processes
Characterise properties
Understand interactions
between coupled systems
Natural vs observable scale
Understand scales of phenomena
Get more funds
Develop nested experiments
Define constraints so that tools are practical
& inexpensive
Define criteria for scale of
observations
Improve tools for observing
appropriate scales
Identify appropriate tools for appropriate
scales
HMW improve database support for hydrological applications?
Data reuse
Assess current databases
Train database specialists in
hydrology
Provide resources to developing countries
Increase hydrological networks; use novel technologies to reduce costs
Identify most practical ways to fill gaps
Identify gaps
Good pilot cases
Demonstrate need & value of data to governing
organisations
Demonstrate problems in current prediction abilities
Single organising
body
Make existing databases accessible & inexpensive
Need cooperation
from those with money & data
Define metadata categories
Demonstrate value of data
sharing
Single data repository
Develop mechanisms that allow people to
provide data
Create better interfaces & visual tools
HMW better integrate hydrological science into the decision-making process?
Demonstrate that cooperation is mutually beneficial
Train hydrologists in socio-economic
perspective
Increase funding for projects that address socio-
economic aspects
Link knowledge to relevant issues
Demonstrate value of hydrologists’ knowledge
Get hydrologists involved in
public debate
Increase communication
with DMs
Programmes that require hydrologists and DMs to
work more closely
Strengthen technology
transfer mechanisms
Cooperating clustersHydrology groups advise DM
Hydrologists conduct DM
Educate those involved in developing academic assessment metrics
Change research assessment process & value of doing work that
affects DM
Educate hydrologists on the DM process
Develop incentives for scientists
Get scientists involved in DM
Recommendations
• Global water secretariat• Global hydrological database• More effort to communicate with decision
makers• Increased efforts to collaborate with other
scientific disciplines• Increased efforts in education and
capacity building, especially in developing countries
“One role of the sciences should be to provide information to better enable formulation and selection of environment and development policies in the decision-making process. In order to fulfil this requirement, it will be essential to enhance scientific understanding, improve long-term scientific assessments, strengthen scientific capacities in all countries and ensure that the sciences are responsive to emerging needs” Chapter 35 of Agenda 21, United Nations 1992