Making SENSE of the Water value chain with Copernicus Earth Observation, models and in-situ data

Project Information

WaterSENSE

Grant agreement ID: 870344

DOI

10.3030/870344

Project closed

EC signature date 31 October 2019

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 30 June 2024

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Space

Total cost

€ 1 999 174,86

EU contribution

€ 1 999 174,86

Coordinated by

ELEAF BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - WaterSENSE (Making SENSE of the Water value chain with Copernicus Earth Observation, models and in-situ data)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

At the end of 2019, Australia was battling with a severe drought causing major wildfires throughout New South Wales. At then end of this project, June 2024, droughts have been making headlines in the news again. All over the world climate change is affecting weather patterns leading to severe droughts. These changes add an additional pressure to the availability of water resources that in many areas, like Australia, are already under severe pressure.
Irrigated agriculture is by far the largest consumer of freshwater. It provides great benefits to the global production of food and fibre, because of its high potential yield per hectare, and is therefore essential for food security. However, its high reliance on freshwater withdrawals is causing substantial strain on the resource, threatening its own future existence in drought prone regions.

The international community is increasingly aware that action is needed, as formulated in SDG6. The way forward is clearly explained by UNWATER:
• Integrated water resources management (IWRM) can control water stress;
• Data, technology and communications have a critical role;
• Lack of data means lack of integrated management.

Acutely aware of the importance of reliable and transparent data, this consortium started in 2020 with the WaterSense project. The goal of WaterSENSE was to develop a modular, operational, water-monitoring system built on Copernicus EO data to provide water managers with a toolbox of reliable and actionable information on water availability and water use, anywhere in the world, in support of sustainable water management and transparency across the entire water value chain
It focussed on the Murray-Darling basin in Australia where droughts have been a persistent problem. The agricultural sector in Australia is subject to multiple pressures, including water scarcity related to climate variability, climate change, over-allocation and in some cases, poor management of water resources. The freshwater systems of the Darling were listed as drought-endangered in 2018.

The Goal of WaterSENSE has been achieved. The WaterSENSE Toolbox for water managers is operational, well tested and used by clients. It has proven successful in supporting water authorities that struggle with the sheer size of the area, limited data availability and poor data quality. The Toolbox uses (Copernicus) EO data, hydrological models and advanced algorithms to solve different water management issues.

At the end of the project, the WaterSENSE Toolbox contained four services:
• Water Use Monitoring and Auditing Services (WUMAS)
• Farm Water Balance / Accounting (FWB)
• Regional Agronomy Decision Support (RADS)
• Environmental Flow Management and Decision Support (eFlow)

The WUMAS and FWB service are operationally and commercially most advanced, helping NSW water authorities to monitor compliance with the water allocation licences.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project started with the development of algorithms for the modular components of the WaterSENSE Toolbox. Copernicus EO data was the main input data, alongside in-situ data from various sources. For the quantification of water availability, the primary focus was on accurately detecting precipitation, farm dam water volume, and soil moisture amounts. For the quantification of the water use, algorithms were developed to detect irrigation water use, map irrigated areas and assess the vegetation condition under environmental flow events. These modules were combined with advanced hydrological modelling to deliver the four WaterSENSE Toolbox services, see table 1. below. In total, the consortium partners published 7 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

This WaterSENSE Toolbox was built around the modular HydroNET platform. The central platform is connected to external data sources, and other platforms such as the modelling platform AQUASAFE, as well as CreoDIAS. User dashboards were designed and data was made available through the HydroNET portal and shared with the demonstration users.
Since the last 2 years, we have been working closely with our demonstration partners. The collaboration with our demonstration partners has improved our Services. This was part of the plan, which incorporated the use of double feedback loops in our development method, shown in Figure 1 below.

In parallel, WaterSENSE developed its business strategy. During the first year of the project, Stakeholder Mapping, Market Analysis, Initial User Needs assessment and the Preliminary business plan were made. The later outlined the overarching value proposition, framework and process that the consortium followed to understand the market and user needs, and provide a first forecast of the sustainability of the exploitation of the service after the end of the project. It was subsequently further developed using the stakeholder engagement and double feedback loop mechanism with our demonstration partners.

The second half of the project has seen a significant increase in business development activities. This was partly due to the inherent set up of the project, which started with the emphasis on research, and a consequence of COVID-19. The WaterSENSE consortium made its first trip to Australia in March 2022, well behind schedule due to travel restriction. Lifting of travel restrictions also made dissemination and communication easier. Over the life of the project, partners in the consortium attended and presented at more than 70 seminars, workshops, conferences or other scientific community events. In addition, more than 30 presentations, briefings and workshops were delivered to different stakeholder groups, developing business relationships, networks and name recognition. WaterSENSE has compiled 5 newsletters, given two summer schools and 6 webinars. Its LinkedIn page now has 500+ followers and its website is kept up to date with information on the service offerings and product descriptions (www.watersense.eu).

In 2024, a second trip to Australia was made by the European partners. The focus was on business development to continue the WaterSENSE activities after the project. This visit strengthened our optimism about the future. The opportunity is there, and the consortium partners have the commitment to continue.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The WaterSENSE project has managed the deliver several results that are beyond the state of the art. These are the algorithms:
- to quantify water levels and volumes in small farm dams;
- to map irrigated areas with satellite data;
- to determine irrigation water volume using satellite data;
- to get the best rainfall product for the region by combining ground-based precipitation radar and rain gauge data.

The integration with the modelling platform AQUASAFE and the HydroNET Water Control Room resulted in the operational WaterSENSE Toolbox used by water managers in the field. Its four services, the flexible design and subscription model are well beyond the state of the art.

The value of our services is recognised by (potential) clients and growing name recognition is opening the door to new clients. The consortium managed to get its first spin off contracts for the WaterSENSE Services, with promising opportunities to expand this list. This can and will help water managers and other stakeholders, in Australia and beyond, to manage precious water resources in a more sustainable way, with transparency to the wider public, against lower cost.

WaterSENSE Toolbox

WaterSENSE concept - Making SENSE of the water value chain

Double Loop Learning