Description du projet
Comprendre l’eau douce et le rôle qu’elle joue dans les fonctions du système terrestre
L’eau douce joue un rôle essentiel dans la régulation et le maintien des écosystèmes terrestres et contribue à l’équilibre énergétique de la planète. Les activités humaines ont malheureusement perturbé ce rôle crucial, entraînant d’importants dommages. Qui plus est, le manque de compréhension de la fonction de l’eau douce a entravé les efforts visant à la protéger et à saisir l’ampleur des dommages causés. Pour combler cette lacune, le projet AQUAGUARD, financé par l’UE, fournit des évaluations quantifiables des perturbations humaines sur les fonctions de l’eau douce. Il entend apporter de nouvelles perspectives sur les interactions complexes entre les différents facteurs et modifications du cycle de l’eau, ainsi que sur leurs incidences. Globalement, le projet entend identifier des solutions de sauvegarde des fonctions essentielles de l’eau douce.
Objectif
Freshwater has a fundamental role in regulating the state of the Earth system. Various human actions modify the water cycle, disturbing the Earth system functions it provides, such as mediating the planet’s energy balance and sustaining ecosystems. Humanity’s impact on these functions has not been quantified comprehensively, nor do we know what human actions drive water cycle modifications (WCMs) in different parts of the world. This knowledge gap has made it impossible to acknowledge freshwater's crucial Earth system functions in decision-making. As human pressures on the water cycle continue to increase, there is an urgent need for bridging the gap between Earth system science and water management and governance, to safeguard freshwater’s life-supporting Earth system functions.
AQUAGUARD rises to this challenge by 1) providing quantifications of the full extent of humanity's disturbance of the Earth system functions of freshwater, globally and in a spatially explicit manner, using novel indicators and spatial delineations; 2) using novel computational methods that will provide new insights into the complex driver interactions behind WCMs; 3) quantifying crucial Earth system impacts of WCMs, using modelling and meta-analysis, and 4) identifying feasible and just opportunities to safeguard freshwater’s Earth system functions, using AQUAGUARD’s quantifications combined with novel indicators of feasibility and equity aspects of freshwater change – at scales that are appropriate for water management and governance.
AQUAGUARD addresses fundamental knowledge gaps at the intersection of hydrology, ecology and biogeochemistry, and provides various new methods and ground-breaking scientific results that will illustrate water as an integral part of the Earth system. By doing so, the project opens up new research avenues within and across these fields and expands perspectives in water management and governance from predominantly local to local-to-global.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesplanets
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputational science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringnatural resources managementwater management
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeochemistrybiogeochemistry
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Thème(s)
Régime de financement
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsInstitution d’accueil
70211 KUOPIO
Finlande