New Challenges of Water Resources Management: the Future Role of CHy
Karl Hofius in his article in this issue of the Bulletin entitled “Evolving role of WMO in hydrology and water resources management” ably describes the evolution of the Hydrology and Water Resources Programme in WMO over the past 50 years. These developments have seen the integration of operational hydrology into the activities of WMO and the recognition of this through the adoption of the slogan “Weather, climate and water” for WMO. The questions I have been asked are: Where to from here? What are the challenges for the next 50 years
An important first step in deciding on future directions and therefore the challenges we face is to look closely at what are the key issues which water resources managers must address today and considering how these will evolve with time. For example, Mr Hofius quite correctly focuses at the end of his paper on the importance of hydrology in the climate change discussion.
Climate change: while we have always had to deal with a variable climate, the majority of studies, analyses and management techniques have been based on the belief that the hydrological series was stationary, i.e. while there may be fluctuations, the mean value would remain roughly the same. There is now mounting evidence of trends in hydrological series. Many areas face a drying and warming climate and thus potentially less water availability;
Increasing vulnerability to severe weather events: the Technical Paper on Climate Change and Water highlights the potential for more frequent and more severe weather events. With increasing populations at risk and the potential for a shift in the risk profile in many areas, safety of life and property will remain high on the agenda;
Growing urban demand: the population of urban centres continues to grow and urban areas continue to spread, thus placing greater pressure on water supply systems as well as reducing the availability of arable land, and, in some cases, placing increased pressure on water supply catchments;
Over-allocation of existing supplies: the water in many supply systems has been allocated on the basis of past availability or existing demand and has not been kept in line with current or future availability; thus, many systems are over-allocated;
Unrestricted extractions: in many areas, there are no management plans or restrictions on water extractions (for example, pumping from rivers and groundwater extractions). These have resulted in less water being available and have in some case led to mining of the resource. The expansion of farm dams in some areas also reduces the supply of water entering river systems;
Land-use change: clear-felling, expanding plantations and the opening of new areas to agriculture all have impacts on the water resource; unintended events, such as bushfires, can lead to a reduction in the availability of water and water-quality problems. Changes to land use, even within agricultural areas, have implications for both water availability and water use;
Environmental requirements: there has been an increasing emphasis on the requirement for environmental flows to maintain ecosystems such as wetland and in-stream environments. Community expectations are that we should see the environment as a rightful and high-priority user of water.
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An important first step in deciding on future directions and therefore the challenges we face is to look closely at what are the key issues which water resources managers must address today and considering how these will evolve with time. For example, Mr Hofius quite correctly focuses at the end of his paper on the importance of hydrology in the climate change discussion.
Climate change: while we have always had to deal with a variable climate, the majority of studies, analyses and management techniques have been based on the belief that the hydrological series was stationary, i.e. while there may be fluctuations, the mean value would remain roughly the same. There is now mounting evidence of trends in hydrological series. Many areas face a drying and warming climate and thus potentially less water availability;
Increasing vulnerability to severe weather events: the Technical Paper on Climate Change and Water highlights the potential for more frequent and more severe weather events. With increasing populations at risk and the potential for a shift in the risk profile in many areas, safety of life and property will remain high on the agenda;
Growing urban demand: the population of urban centres continues to grow and urban areas continue to spread, thus placing greater pressure on water supply systems as well as reducing the availability of arable land, and, in some cases, placing increased pressure on water supply catchments;
Over-allocation of existing supplies: the water in many supply systems has been allocated on the basis of past availability or existing demand and has not been kept in line with current or future availability; thus, many systems are over-allocated;
Unrestricted extractions: in many areas, there are no management plans or restrictions on water extractions (for example, pumping from rivers and groundwater extractions). These have resulted in less water being available and have in some case led to mining of the resource. The expansion of farm dams in some areas also reduces the supply of water entering river systems;
Land-use change: clear-felling, expanding plantations and the opening of new areas to agriculture all have impacts on the water resource; unintended events, such as bushfires, can lead to a reduction in the availability of water and water-quality problems. Changes to land use, even within agricultural areas, have implications for both water availability and water use;
Environmental requirements: there has been an increasing emphasis on the requirement for environmental flows to maintain ecosystems such as wetland and in-stream environments. Community expectations are that we should see the environment as a rightful and high-priority user of water.
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Website link: youngscientistawards.com
NominationLink:https://youngscientistawards.com/awardnomination/ecategory=Awards&rcategoryrdee
Contact Us: support@youngscientistawards.com
___________________________________
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Twitter : https://twitter.com/youngsc06963908
Linkedin- : https://www.linkedin.com/in/shravya-r...
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