Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

Transcription

1 International Hydrological Programme (IHP) Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) András Szöllösi-Nagy Secretary, International Hydrological Programme UNESCO, Paris Asian Water Cycle Symposium The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 2-4 November

2 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Hydrological Programme (IHP)

3 CENTRAL TENET Humans are changing the global water system in a globally-significant way without.. adequate knowledge of the system and thus its response to change

4 Global change drivers Population growth, movement and age structures Geo-political changes and realignments Trade and subsidies Technological changes Climate change U.S. Bureau of the Census

5 Global change impacts Global change is more than global climate change It has natural PLUS human/social dimensions A constellation of changes, many global in domain For example, we see large changes in: Richards (1991), WRI (1990) Mackenzie et al (2002) Reid & Miller (1989) NOAA Vitousek (1994)

6 Water Cycling Deeply Embedded in Earth System Interconnections are Strong Change to One Part Reverberates Throughout The Global Water System

7 Rural and Urban Population Density

8 If the current trend continues, sub-saharan Africa will not reach MDG water target Progress in drinking water coverage, (UNICEF/WHO JMP)

9 Many countries not on track to reach MDG sanitation target Progress in sanitation coverage, (UNICEF/WHO JMP)

10 Water hazard as a major challenge Intensifying and increasing occurrence of water related hazard in many part of the world Serious concern on climate change such as extreme hydrologic events and sea level rising

11 LOOMING WATER CRISES

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13 GLOBAL FRESHWATER RESOURCES Relation between water availability and population

14 The Climate Moisture Index, representing climatically-induced water variability

15 Real GDP grow th (%) Variability in Rainfall (Meter) Years Real GDP growth (%) Variability in Rainfall (Meter) Rainfall affects growth.. the case of Zimbabwe Correlation between GDP and Rainfall in Zimbabwe

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17 History of US Dam & Reservoir Construction % increase in water held by river systems Stored Runoff < 2% annual flow >100 Several years of residence time change in many basins Tripling of river runoff travel times globally (from 20 up to 60 days) Substantial impact on aquatic biodiversity Interception of 30% of continental TSS flux From: Vörösmarty et al. 2004, Eos-AGU Trans.

18 Infrastructure gap: Water storage Water storage per person (m3) 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,729 6,150 4,000 3,000 2,486 3,255 2,000 1, Ethiopia 746 South Africa 1,287 1,406 Thailand Laos China Brazil Australia North America

19 How to put water in the minds of people? The challenge we all have

20 What happened over the past years? st World Water Forum (Marrakech) UN GA Special Session 19 (Rio +5) water will become a major limiting factor in socioeconomic development UN GA 51 Adoption of the UN Convention on the Law of the Non- Navigational Uses of Transboundary Water Courses

21 Aquifer Transboundary Issues

22 Water Resources are recognized as a UNESCO Principal Priority A new consensus is emerging in international thinking about Water Resources

23 World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) The State of The World s Freshwater Resources

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25 Sanitation Satellite Land Cover MAJOR CHALLENGE: Harmonize Geophysical and Social Dimensions Approaches

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27 From Potential Conflict to Co-operation Potential Water for Peace a contribution to World Water Assessment Programme

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30 The International Hydrological Programme (IHP) Intergovernmental scientific programme on Water Resources of the UN system * Created in 1975 after the International Hydrological Decade * Member States define needs and plans of phases * Growing emphasis on management and social aspects

31 IHP Phases IHD: Experimental Basins World Catal. of Very Large Floods World Water Balance & WR of the Earth IHP-I IHP-II IHP- III IHP- IV Hydrology and Water Resources for Sustainable Development IHP-V Hydrology and Water Resources under Vulnerable Environment IHP-VI Water Interactions: Systems at Risk and Social Challenges

32 Water Interactions : Systems at Risk and Social Challenges Phase VI ( ) International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO Themes 1 Global changes and water resources 2 Integrated Watershed and Aquifer Dynamics 3 Land Habitat Hydrology 4 Water and Society 5 Water Education and Training

33 Interlinkages of IHP-VI, HELP and FRIEND UNESCO Chairs in Water T 5 T1 UNESCO Institutes / Centers T2 T 4 T3 UNESCO -IHE Institute for Water Education Associated Programmes JIIHP ISI IFP

34 Water Stress Changes to % of future stress from population & development, not climate change! Correct Priorities? (E.g. 85% US global change research funding to climate and carbon) UNH Vörösmarty et al. 2000

35 Major floods and droughts worldwide in 2002 Germany Germany China China Korea Flood Drought Austria France Senegal Kenya Czech Russia Turkey Ethiopia Kenya Afghanistan Nepal India Sri Lanka China Bangladesh Vietnam Korea Philippines Indonesia USA Micronesia USA Mexico Haiti/ Jamaica Peru Uruguay Ecuador There is pressing need to develop advanced risk management on water hazard in order to secure human life and ensure sustainable socio-economic development and poverty alleviation. Bolivia

36 Damages of Floods in 1990's Economic Losses (Million USD) 100,000 10,000 1,000 Asia China Japan Europe N.Am Others ,000 10, ,000 1,000,000 Death Tolls (Persons)

37 IFI International Flood Initiative /Programme IIASA

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39 Urban expansion taking place downward Underground flood risk Recent developments Long term risks are not experienced Program 2 Fukuoka simulation At Hakata station Volume of water entered into underground space: 2,017 m3 (simulated volume) 1,320 m3 (total pumped water station)

40 International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHARM, Tsukuba, Japan)

41 A Blueprint of the Centre Building Research Staff : 20 (at the initial stage) Center building : will be completed in autumn 2005 Office space : 2,000m 2

42 ISI International Sediment Initiative

43 Human Fingerprint on Land-to-Ocean Linkages --Intercepted sediments that nourish our coastlines Coastal zone now gets 30% less sediment 700% increase in water held in rivers Tripling of river runoff travel times Vörösmarty et al UNH

44 The Nile Delta Nile River Delta

45 International Research and Training Centre on Erosion and Sedimentation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-IRTCES, Beijing, China)

46 Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data An International Collaborative Study in Regional Hydrology

47 FRIEND : a global project

48 Asian Pacific Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data (AP FRIEND) The FRIEND Project is an international collaborative project of contribution to the IHP. The primary objective is to improve understanding of hydrological variability and similarity across time and space in order to develop hydrological science and practical design methods. The AP FRIEND was officially launched in 1997 with the 1st Phase which ended in 2002, with the

49 Asian Pacific Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data (AP FRIEND) the research activities conducted under the framework of the IHP Regional Steering Committee (RSC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The 1st phase has focused on the establishment of the objectives, work plans, research networks and the databases, with nearly 200 researchers involved from 13 countries in the Asia Pacific Region.

50 Asian Pacific Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data (AP FRIEND) 2 nd phase 3 agreed areas of activity Drought and low flows High flows Pacific Regional Action Plan (Detailed strategy already available much of the work will integrate well with first 2 areas) Initial focus will be rainfall (availability of data, design rainfall procedures in use, investigation of regionally consistent) later leading to techniques for transformation into flows (high and low). Next AP FRIEND Meeting will be held in Bali, 24 November 2005, and will discuss actions for the preparation of the global FRIEND Conference, Cuba, 2006

51 Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy To deliver social, economic and environmental benefit to stakeholders through sustainable and appropriate use of water by directing hydrological science towards improved integrated catchment management basins Real people Real catchments Real answers

52 Paradigm Lock based on outdated knowledge and technology Process hydrology Water managers and stakeholders research ideas design output understanding Isolated by lack of proven utility Accepted practices implementation Isolated by legal and professional precedence HELP Real people Real catchments Real answers...

53 FRIEND and HELP Networks Demonstration Operational Evolving Proposed

54 HELP in Asia Categories: Demonstration Operational Aral Sea (Trans) Indus (Pakistan) Chirchik (Uzbekistan) Gagas (India) Irtysh (Trans) Brahmani Tarim (China) Yasu (Japan) Evolving Proposed Walawe (Sri Lanka) Khaluvelly Langat (Malaysia) Davao (Philippines) Talise (Vanuatu) Mandaratsy (Madagascar) Burdekin Fitzroy Murrumbidgee (Australia) Motueka (New Zealand)

55 Precipitation

56 Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change (GRAPHIC) UNESCO IGRAC GWSP

57 There is no sustainable development without adequate information about the state of the Earth and its environment Statement at WSSD

58 High Technology Earth Systems Tools Satellite data Simulation models Geospatial analysis tools They show promise but..

59 WATER EDUCATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING

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61 Existing Centers and Institutes One CATEGORY 1: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (Delft, The Netherlands) Twelve CATEGORY 2 Centers: IRTCUD International Research & Training Center (Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro) IRTCES - International Research & Training Center on Erosion & Sedimentation (Beijing, China) CATHALAC Centro del Agua para los Trópicos Húmedos de LAC (Panama City, Panama) Humid Tropics Hydrology Center for South East Asia & the Pacific (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

62 Existing Centers and Institutes CATEGORY 2 (cont.): RCTWS Regional Center for Training and Water Studies in Arid & Semiarid Zones (Cairo, Egypt) RCUWM Regional Center on Urban Water Management (Teheran, Iran) ICQHHS International Center on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures (Yazd, I.R. of Iran)

63 Existing Centers and Institutes New CATEGORY 2 Centers approved by the 33 rd General Conference: International Center for Water Hazards and Risk Management - ICHARM (Tsukuba, Japan) IHP-HELP Center on Water Law and Policy, Dundee, UK European Regional Ecohydrology Center (Łódz, Poland) Centro Regional para la Gestión del Agua en Zonas Urbanas LAC (Bogotá, Colombia) CAZALAC - Centro del Agua para Zonas Aridas y Semiáridas de LAC (La Serena, Chile)

64 Centers in the pipeline IGRAC International Groundwater Assessment Center (Utrecht, The Netherlads) Regional Drought Center for Subsaharan Africa ( location TBD) Regional Center for Shared Aquifer Resources (Tripoli, Libia) Regional Ecohydrology Center - LAC (Argentina) Regional Ecohydrology Center SEA & Pacific (Indonesia)

65 Evolution of IHP phases: continuity with change IHP IV Hydrology and Water Resources Sustainable Development in a Changing Environment IHP-V Hydrology and Water Resources Development in a Vulnerable Environment IHP-VI Water Interactions: Systems at Risk and Social Challenges IHP-VII (proposed) Water Dependencies: Systems under Stress and Societal Responses

66 UNESCO Cooperation with GEO (1) UNESCO and its IOC are cooperating with WMO, FAO and UNEP in an inter agency coordination mechanism regarding their inputs to GEOSS and its implementation plan. The UN Specialized Organizations want to affirm: The need for universal cooperation in GEOSS; The necessity to avoid duplication of efforts, taking into account the activities undertaken by IGOS CEOS GOOS GCOS GTOS, as well as assessing the need to further develop linkages with the new systems; The urgent need to focus on the planning of Sustainable Development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals;

67 UNESCO Cooperation with GEO (2) The UN Specialized Organizations : Emphasize the importance to reach an appropriate balance between the strengthening of in situ, airborne and space observation networks and systems; Offer support to GEO Secretariat & Subgroup activities on User Requirements, Science and Technology, Data & Architecture and Education & Capacity Building; Support to GEOSS for Work Plan priority setting & planning & evaluation; STRONGLY ENCOURAGE MEMBER STATES TO JOIN THE COMMON EFFORTS

68 CONTINUE COMPREHENSIVE, GLOBAL ASSESSMENTS AND CONSTANT VIGILANCE Humans are now a part of the system --New challenges to understand their role in the Earth System --New opportunities for gaining knowledge --Will our role be domination or adaptation?

69 International Hydrological Programme (IHP) Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) 69

70 Anybody who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel Prizes, one for peace and one for science (President J. F. Kennedy)

71 UNESCO Water Portal