Descrizione del progetto
Comprendere l’acqua dolce e il suo ruolo nelle attività del sistema terrestre
L’acqua dolce svolge un ruolo fondamentale nella regolazione e nel mantenimento degli ecosistemi terrestri e contribuisce al bilancio energetico del pianeta. Purtroppo, le attività umane hanno perturbato questo ruolo cruciale, causando danni significativi. Inoltre, la mancanza di comprensione della funzione dell’acqua dolce ha ostacolato gli sforzi per proteggerla e comprendere l’entità dei danni causati. Per colmare questa lacuna conoscitiva, il progetto AQUAGUARD, finanziato dall’UE, fornisce valutazioni quantificabili dei disturbi antropici alle funzioni delle acque dolci. L’obiettivo è quello di offrire nuovi spunti di riflessione sulle complesse interazioni tra i vari fattori e le modifiche del ciclo dell’acqua e gli impatti che ne derivano. In definitiva, il progetto cerca di individuare soluzioni per salvaguardare le funzioni essenziali dell’acqua dolce.
Obiettivo
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.
Campo scientifico
- 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
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsIstituzione ospitante
70211 KUOPIO
Finlandia