Integrative and adaptive risk governance, management and monitoring for SDG

implementation: Monitoring technologies to support the Water SDG

Zaragoza, SpainWater and Sustainable Development: From Vision to Action

January 16, 2015

Rick Lawford

Earth observations are needed to monitor water short- and long-term environmental risks

2014: Tailings pond dam breach at the Mount Polley mine (northern BC) released app.10 million cubic metres of water and 4.5 million cubic metres of fine sand into Polley Lake.

Satellite image (2007)Lake

Major summer algal blooms (>15,000 km2) in Lake Winnipeg resulting from the nutrients in the agricultural runoff associated with phosphates and nitrates in fertilizers used by farmers and in domestic waste water from cities.

Some natural sources of environmental risk

Climate Change: The changes in atmospheric composition of the atmosphere are leading to global warming and changes in precipitation patterns.

The atmosphere has internal variability, including the processes leading to extremes (drought and floods) that will be enhanced by climate change.

Many environmental phenomena which impact water resources are unpredictable (e.g., volcanoes, floods, etc) Flood

Earth Observations: foundation for knowledge and action

• Earth observations include:

1)Satellite data (global, periodic)

2)In-situ measurements (local,frequent)

• Observations on the cusp:

1)Data Assimilation System outputs

2)Model outputs

3)Citizen observations (Big data)

Courtesy: NASA

Courtesy: Environment Canada

In-situ point measurements may not always be

representative of an area

GEO - voluntary partnership of governments and internationalorganizationsGEOSS - an integrating publicinfrastructure, interconnecting adiverse, growing array of Earthobserving instruments and information systems

The international Water Task Target:By 2015, produce comprehensive sets of data and information products to support decision-making for efficient management of the world's water resources, based on coordinated, sustained observations of the water cycle on multiple scales.

Components of the Water Task:

C1: Integrated Water-cycle Products and Services

C2: Information Systems for Hydro-meteorological Extremes (incl. Floods and Droughts)

C3: Information Service for Cold Regions

C4: Global Water-Quality Products and Services

C5: Information System Development and Capacity Building

The IGWCO CoP Structure provides a framework for Implementation

Integrated Global Water Cycle Observations Community of Practice Coordination

Contributions to the UN Water Indicator Review

• A number of indicators related to the proposed OWG’s SDGs have been proposed and have been evaluated.

• River Basins provide an ideal monitoring unit for water.

• New indicators could also be proposed (e.g., floods, sewage overflows and health)

Red Basins have the highest domestic and industrial WW per unit volume of water (WRI)

Problem for the Hue Citadel in Viet Nam

Example of the use of GIS and layers to combine EO and socio-economic data

Water accessibility: (combination of layers ‘a’ and ‘d’) Access measured in amount of energy per capita (calories) needed to collect water, highlighting access limitations due to terrain. Also shows populations living on marginal land without water access.

Water resources per person: (combination of layers ‘b’ and ‘d’) Determines whether underlying water resources (aquifer yield) can meet demand of overlying population based on 50 liters per person per day .

Areas with improved water access:(combination of layers ‘c’ and ‘d’) Displays 1-km LandScan areas that have achieved water access per guidelines, i.e. at least one access point per 1-sq.km

(a) Digital Elevation Model (DEM): Worldwide coverage from NASA’s ASTER mission with 30-meter resolution.

(b) Water Resource Map:Aquifer yield data from multiple sources.

(c) Improved water source location: Location of wells continually updated with new water projects via interactive Web 2.0 application.

(d) LandScan Population Database: commercially available 1-kilometer population database updated yearly (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/landscan/landscan_data_avail.shtml).

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

INPUT LAYERS: COMBINED OUTPUT LAYERS:

Target 6.3:

EOTT recommended indicator: A consolidated indicator of wastewater production, treatment and reuse/recyclingRationale: AQUISTAT and national environment agencies have reliable statistics for some countries but these data are limited. Estimates generated by a global algorithm and validated by AQUISTAT data may hold the greatest promise.EO support for the indicator:

Population densities derived from Landsatdata can be combined with census data toestimate waste water generation potential,releases and their impacts.

1)

High resolution satellite images could document the location of treatment facilities.

2)

Target 6.3:

EOTT recommended indicator: Adoption of the UN Water recommendation related to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution producing algal blooms that accumulate in large lakes, water bodies and coastal zones.Rationale: The WQ indicators are complex and focusedon point data. While improving GEMSTAT data is desirable, an indicator that provides information for every country is most desirable. EO support for the indicator:

. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=84125

LANDSAT and MODIS data provide global data on phytoplankton blooms and sedimentation

Hydrologic models can estimate the movement and changes of concentrations of pollutants (incl. N and Ph) in rivers

Target 6.4:

EOTT recommended indicator: The Water Use Efficiency Index and its variation in time and by sector (as per the Water TT report).Rationale: Water Use Efficiency is the critical indicator of the overall target because it is foundational to the other objectives.EO support for the indicator: EO can provide comprehensive information on water availability starting with precipitation. It can also be used to estimate the consumption of water through irrigation. Other estimates can also be developed.

Irrigation estimated from ET in Arizona

Operational satellite based

average precipitation

product from NOAA

Target 6.5: IWRM

EOTT recommended indicator: Number of tools and data sets available to support IWRM.Rationale: Implementation of IWRM is very difficult and needs to be enabled by the support of agencies and countries with this vision.EO support for the indicator:

The availability and sharing of satellite information is notrestricted by national boundariesor national data policies.

Other basin-scale EO data relate to:- Changes in water availability- Water stress- Storage capacity- Climate Change impacts

Data from some nationsnot available

Data needed by basin

Target 6.6:

EOTT recommended indicator: Natural Water Capital IndexRationale: This indicator is more relevant to water issues than other ecosystem indicators. It also has ties to some of the overall issues of Natural Capital and ecosystem services that the UN may consider.EO support for the Indicator:

Groundwater variability

From NASA: variability in lake levels

EO can provide water storage in groundwater and surface stores (lakes) and measures of wetland and ecosystem extent

Table: Evaluation of EO applicability per Indicator type. Color Code: Green = High; Yellow = Mid-range; Red = Low

Indicator/Parameter Type Selected by EO applicability

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6.2 Waste Water Computed as a residual product using EO

6.3 Water Quality

For Nitrates, Phosphates and Algae, Phytoplankton Blooms and Sediment

6.4 Water Efficiency

Accurate Quantification of Water Use and Type Required

6.5 Water Resource Management

Associated “management” inputs combined with EO on Water availability/change variables

6.6 Natural Water Capital Index

Resolution and accuracy is dependent on type of parameter, data availability and application

EO contributions within the existing structure

EO Contributions within a revised structure

EO Contributions to develop a new SD paradigm

The Bottom Line for EO and SDGs

• Thesis: Just as surveys are cost effective reliable option for JMP: EO can play the same role for expanded water monitoring.

• Recommendation #1: Integrate EO into the planning of those indicator monitoring activities where it makes sense to do so – Scenario #2

• Recommendation #2: Launch a research activity to prototype an indicator monitoring approach that takes full advantage of the space and time resolutions of EO.

• Recommendation #3: Strengthen EO programmes so they can better support the needs of the SD Agenda.

Challenges to implementing an EO-based monitoring system

1. Ensuring that an EO-based monitoring system maintains a minimum level of continuity for the next 15 years.

2. Understanding the validation and spatial variations of indicators in different climate regimes.

3. Developing the national level capabilities to exploit an EO-based monitoring system (Capacity Development will be required).

4. Overcoming reluctance to adopt a more open approach to producing and interpreting Water SDG indicators without substantial financial incentives.

5. Developing best practices for the interpretation of indicators on a range of time scales