New Approaches to Adaptive Water Management under Uncertainty

Objective

The central tenet of the NeWater project is a transition from currently prevailing regimes of river basinwater management into more adaptive regimes in the future. This transition calls for a highly integratedwater resources management concept. NeWater identifies key typical elements of the current watermanagement system and focuses its research on processes of transition of these elements to adaptiveIWRM. Each key element is studied by novel approaches. Key IWRM areas where NeWater isexpected to deliver breakthrough results include:
1. governance in water management (methods to arrive at polycentric, horizontal broad stakeholderparticipation in IWRM)
2. sectoral integration (integration of IWRM and spatial planning; integration with climate changeadaptation strategies, cross-sectoral optimization and cost-benefit analysis)
3. scales of analysis in IWRM (methods to resolve resource use conflicts; transboundary issues)
4. information management (multi stakeholder dialogue, multi-agent systems modelling; role ofgames in decision making; novel monitoring systems for decision systems in water management)
5. infrastructure (innovative methods for river basin buffering capacity; role of storage in adaptation toclimate variability and climate extremes)
6. finances and risk mitigation strategies in water management (new instruments, role of public-private arrangements in risk-sharing)
7. stakeholder participation; promoting new ways of bridging between science, policy andimplementationThe development of concepts and tools that guide an integrated analysis and support a stepwiseprocess of change in water management is the corner-stone of research activities in the NeWaterproject. To achieve its objectives the project is structured into six work blocks, and it adopts amanagement structure that allows effective exchange between innovative and cutting edge researchon integrative water management concepts.

Fields of science

• social sciences › sociology › governance
• social sciences › economics and business › economics › monetary and finances
• natural sciences › earth and related environmental sciences › hydrology › drainage basins
• natural sciences › earth and related environmental sciences › atmospheric sciences › climatology › climatic changes
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › natural resources management › water management

Keywords

• adaptive water management
• participatory integrated assessment
• uncertainty and predictability

Programme(s)

• FP6-SUSTDEV - Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems: thematic priority 6 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006.

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

FP6-2003-GLOBAL-2
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

IP - Integrated Project

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF OSNABRUECK

Address

Neuer Graben / Schloss
Osnabrueck
Germany

Links

Participants (38)

ALTERRA BV

Netherlands

Address

Droevendaalsesteeg 3
Wageningen

Links

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

United Kingdom

Address

Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon

Links

CENTRE NATIONAL DU MACHINISME AGRICOLE, DU GÉNIE RURAL DES EAUX ET DES FORÊTS

France

Address

BP44 Antony

Links

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DENMARK AND GREENLAND

Denmark

Address

Oester Voldgade 10
Copenhagen K

Links

HR WALLINGFORD LTD

United Kingdom

Address

Howbery Park
Wallingford, Oxfordshire

Links

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

Austria

Address

Schlossplatz 1
Laxenburg

Links

YORK UNIVERSITY

United Kingdom

Address

Heslington
York

Links

TASHKENT INSTITUTE OF IRRIGATION AND MELIORATION

Uzbekistan

Address

39 Qory Niyoziy Street
Tashkent

UNIVERSITAET KASSEL

Germany

Address

Moenchebergstrasse 19
Kassel

Links

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN

Belgium

Address

Oude Markt 13
Leuven

Links

CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY

United Kingdom

Address

College Road, Cranfield
Bedford

Links

ECOLOGIC- INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Germany

Address

Pfalzburgerstr. 43-44
N/A Berlin

Links

FONDAZIONE ENI ENRICO MATTEI

Italy

Address

Corso Magenta 63
N/A Milan

Links

MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY

Netherlands

Address

Minderbroederstraat 4-6
616 Maastricht

Links

INSTITUTE OF HYDRODYNAMICS, ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Czechia

Address

Pod Patankou 30/5
Prague 6

Links

INSTITUTE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

South Africa

Address

67 St Patricks Road
X01 Pietermartizburg

Links

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

Italy

Address

P-le Aldo Moro, 7
Roma

Links

INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE

Portugal

Address

Av. Prof. Dr. Cavaco Silva, 33 Taguspark - Oeiras
012 Porto Salvo

Links

IUCN - INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Switzerland

Address

Rue Mauverney 28
Gland

Links

MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

United Kingdom

Address

All Saints Building, Oxford Road
Manchester

Links

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.

Germany

Address

Hofgartenstrasse 8
München

Links

NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CENTRE FOR MEDICAL AND BIOTECHNICAL RESEARCH/NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF UKRAINE

Ukraine

Address

Volodymyrska Str. 54
Kiev

POTSDAM INSTITUTE FOR CLIMATE IMPACT RESEARCH

Germany

Address

Telegrafenberg A31
60 12 03 Potsdam

Links

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT

Netherlands

Address

Delft

Links

MINISTERIE VAN VERKEER EN WATERSTAAT - RIJKSWATERSTAAT WATERDIENST (CENTER FOR WATER MANAGEMENT)

Netherlands

Address

Zuiderwagenplein 2
Lelystad

Links

SEECON DEUTSCHLAND GMBH

Germany

Address

Westerbreite 7
Osnabrueck

Links

VYZKUMNY USTAV VODOHOSPODARSKY T.G. MASARYKA (T.G. MASARYK WATER RESEARCH INSTITUTE)

Czechia

Address

Podbabska 30
Prague 6

Links

UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID

Spain

Address

Avda. Complutense S/n. Ciudad Universitaria.
Madrid

Links

UFZ - UMWELTFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM LEIPZIG-HALLE GMBH

Germany

Address

Permoserstraße 15
Leipzig

Links

UMEAA UNIVERSITY

Sweden

Address

Umeaa

Links

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

United Kingdom

Address

Northcote House, The Queen's Drive'
Exeter

Links

UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE MADRID

Spain

Address

Avenida Ramiro De Maeztu, 7
Madrid

Links

UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE

Netherlands

Address

Drienerlolaan 5
217 Enschede

Links

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT AMSTERDAM - INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Netherlands

Address

De Boelelaan 1087
Amsterdam

Links

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY

Netherlands

Address

Droevedaalsesteeg 3
Wageningen

Links

RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITÄT

Germany

Address

Regina-pacis-weg 3
n/a Bonn

Links

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

United Kingdom

Address

University Offices, Wellington Square
Oxford

Links

INSTITUTO GEOLOGICO Y MINERO DE ESPANA

Spain

Address

Ríos Rosas 23
Madrid

Links