Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WE-ACT (Water Efficient Allocation in a Central Asian Transboundary River Basin)
Período documentado: 2023-01-01 hasta 2024-06-30
Transboundary river basins, which cross political and administrative boundaries, present unique challenges in water resource management. These basins are crucial for the livelihoods of millions of people, supporting agriculture, industry, and domestic needs. However, differing legal, institutional, and economic frameworks across regions often lead to inefficient water allocation, conflicts, and environmental degradation. Climate change exacerbates these issues, causing variability in water availability and increasing the risk of extreme weather events. Mountainous regions in Central Asia covering main transboundary river basins of the regions are one example of the afore mentioned points.
WE-ACTs main objective is to establish a climate sensitive Decision Support System for water allocation in two sub-catchments of a transboundary river basin in Central Asia, namely the Naryn and Kara Darya catchments of the Syr Darya river basin (covering parts of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan).
Additionally, the project aims to:
- enhance collaboration between countries and regions sharing the river basin through joint water management strategies and data sharing
- promote fair access to water resources for all stakeholders, including marginalized communities, and involve them in decision-making processes
- leverage modern technologies and data analysis tools to monitor water usage, predict future needs, and manage resources more effectively
- encouraging the improvement of policies to set fair water tariffs, reduce water footprints and increase water use efficiency in agriculture and energy sectors
- Ultimately, contributing to an Impact in Water Allocation: From Information to Action with Stakeholder Engagement, Policies, and Financing Mechanisms
The project's backbone is a reliable data supply chain based on real-time monitoring, integrated water demand-, availability- and use modelling approach, machine-learning, and data storage in a transboundary context. This will be matched with an in-depth understanding of water policies and priorities that face increasing pressures of climate change, growing demand and water dependency. Besides, contrasting water user interests among different parties in the transboundary river basin emphasizes the importance of a Decision Support System that focuses on sustainable water resources management.
WE-ACT strives for open access to detailed information for local communities and civil society organizations (both local and global non-profits) working on environmental and social objectives, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the shared data and resources.
End-users of the project (hydrometeorological stations, integrated models, DSS for water allocation) will be carefully mapped, invited, involved and trained to establish and use meaningful results from the outset of the project.
Lastly, the WE-ACT project also integrates social sciences and humanities through principles of economics, behavioral sciences, law, and political science to conduct social cost-benefit analyses, develop future projections, and engage stakeholders in improving water allocation systems. The Decision Support System (DSS) is designed from the ground up to enhance human well-being and social cohesion by addressing the priorities and needs of end users, ultimately improving access to sustainable benefits across national borders.
WE-ACTs main objective is to establish a climate sensitive Decision Support System for water allocation in two sub-catchments of a transboundary river basin in Central Asia, namely the Naryn and Kara Darya catchments of the Syr Darya river basin (covering parts of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan).
Additionally, the project aims to:
- enhance collaboration between countries and regions sharing the river basin through joint water management strategies and data sharing
- promote fair access to water resources for all stakeholders, including marginalized communities, and involve them in decision-making processes
- leverage modern technologies and data analysis tools to monitor water usage, predict future needs, and manage resources more effectively
- encouraging the improvement of policies to set fair water tariffs, reduce water footprints and increase water use efficiency in agriculture and energy sectors
- Ultimately, contributing to an Impact in Water Allocation: From Information to Action with Stakeholder Engagement, Policies, and Financing Mechanisms
The project's backbone is a reliable data supply chain based on real-time monitoring, integrated water demand-, availability- and use modelling approach, machine-learning, and data storage in a transboundary context. This will be matched with an in-depth understanding of water policies and priorities that face increasing pressures of climate change, growing demand and water dependency. Besides, contrasting water user interests among different parties in the transboundary river basin emphasizes the importance of a Decision Support System that focuses on sustainable water resources management.
WE-ACT strives for open access to detailed information for local communities and civil society organizations (both local and global non-profits) working on environmental and social objectives, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the shared data and resources.
End-users of the project (hydrometeorological stations, integrated models, DSS for water allocation) will be carefully mapped, invited, involved and trained to establish and use meaningful results from the outset of the project.
Lastly, the WE-ACT project also integrates social sciences and humanities through principles of economics, behavioral sciences, law, and political science to conduct social cost-benefit analyses, develop future projections, and engage stakeholders in improving water allocation systems. The Decision Support System (DSS) is designed from the ground up to enhance human well-being and social cohesion by addressing the priorities and needs of end users, ultimately improving access to sustainable benefits across national borders.
A comprehensive Project Quality Management Plan, Ethics Plan, Communication Dissemination and Exploitation Plan, and Project Data Management Plan were established to ensure robust and ethical management practices. A preliminary data warehouse was integrated. Stakeholder mapping and engagement were carried out in the transboundary context, along with user mapping, to understand the needs and interests of various parties involved.
The existing hydrometeorological network in the study area was mapped, and additional hydrometeorological stations were implemented to enhance data collection capabilities. The status-quo of water availability was analyzed, and data on water footprints, unmet water demand, environmental flow violations, and the value of water were collected.
A distributed cloud architecture was implemented to support the project's data management needs, and a serious game on water allocation was created to facilitate stakeholder engagement and education. Regional water, data, and models for decision-making in the Syr Darya Basin were reviewed, providing valuable insights for future planning and management.
A dataset of Regional Climate Model (RCM) ensemble outputs was compiled, offering estimations of meteorological changes under two scenarios. The project team successfully published three scientific papers, contributing to the body of knowledge in the field (https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2023-140(se abrirá en una nueva ventana); https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104005 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-024-04976-w(se abrirá en una nueva ventana)). Moreover, stakeholder workshops along with other exploitation activities were conducted to disseminate findings and engage with the community, as detailed in the "Dissemination" and "Communication" sections.
The existing hydrometeorological network in the study area was mapped, and additional hydrometeorological stations were implemented to enhance data collection capabilities. The status-quo of water availability was analyzed, and data on water footprints, unmet water demand, environmental flow violations, and the value of water were collected.
A distributed cloud architecture was implemented to support the project's data management needs, and a serious game on water allocation was created to facilitate stakeholder engagement and education. Regional water, data, and models for decision-making in the Syr Darya Basin were reviewed, providing valuable insights for future planning and management.
A dataset of Regional Climate Model (RCM) ensemble outputs was compiled, offering estimations of meteorological changes under two scenarios. The project team successfully published three scientific papers, contributing to the body of knowledge in the field (https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2023-140(se abrirá en una nueva ventana); https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104005 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-024-04976-w(se abrirá en una nueva ventana)). Moreover, stakeholder workshops along with other exploitation activities were conducted to disseminate findings and engage with the community, as detailed in the "Dissemination" and "Communication" sections.
Key achievements include identifying specific water management requirements and implementing additional hydrometeorological stations to complement existing measurement networks. These stations provide crucial data to enhance water allocation and support its sustainable management. Comprehensive modeling is conducted to establish a foundation for sustainable water resource management, enabling the exploration of current water availability and demand. Modeling and measurement efforts will be integrated, with demonstration activities, in a data warehouse and decision support system prototype, already underway. These demonstrations are central to achieving comprehensive water management, emphasizing stakeholder engagement as a critical component.
The consortium investigated the development of meteorological extremes under climate change in Central Asia and evaluated AI techniques for discharge forecasting, integrating novel approaches in the region. The research also explored the interplay of different drought types, which could inform robust mitigation strategies and enhance understanding of drought propagation under global warming. Additionally, a hydrological model incorporating a new framework to simulate glacier recession was developed and will be further applied. Further research is needed on the anthropogenic influences on the region's water resources, aiming for a holistic view to enable robust water allocation for specific needs.
The consortium investigated the development of meteorological extremes under climate change in Central Asia and evaluated AI techniques for discharge forecasting, integrating novel approaches in the region. The research also explored the interplay of different drought types, which could inform robust mitigation strategies and enhance understanding of drought propagation under global warming. Additionally, a hydrological model incorporating a new framework to simulate glacier recession was developed and will be further applied. Further research is needed on the anthropogenic influences on the region's water resources, aiming for a holistic view to enable robust water allocation for specific needs.