Integrated Water Cycle Information: Developing a Global Network for Water Resource Management

1. GEO Work Plan Symposium 2011 Days 2DS-05 Highlights

2. DS-05 Integrated Water-cycle Information Definition Develop an operational and sustained global network of in-situ observation sites. Increase the availability of information products and services for monitoring changes in the water cycle, including clouds and precipitation, appropriate for both research and integrated water resource management. Increase the availability of data and information, including quantity and quality of both surface and groundwater, to support a water cycle decision making system. Develop routine, reliable production of “watershed” and human health indicators from satellite data, surface and subsurface data, and data assimilation capabilities (Water Target) Increase knowledge of environmental flow requirements of river baseflow and peak flow, as well as human requirements for irrigation and power plant cooling water and domestic usage (Ecosystems Target) … Discussed: Some wordsmithing will be done

3. Results of a recent US-09-01A survey of data needs in GEO’s nine Societal Benefit Areas

4. Deliverables (we like objective better) • Integrated water-cycle information service Priority Actions: - Data product development • Data System development and implementation • Demonstration and capacity building • User engagement • Leads: Japan, USA, Canada, EC, WMO, IGWCO COP Support: WCRP, ESA, UNESCO, the Netherlands, Germany, France, World Bank, Columbia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, China, IEEE, Austria,

5. UIC CBC Deliverables Component 4: User engagement and operational services Component 3: Demonstration projects and education ADC Component 2: Data Systems Development and coordination STC • -Assessment of benefits of EO • Indicators of the status of water resources • -Global Water Cycle Integrator Component 1: Data product Development • Africa • Asia • Latin and Caribbean America • Water for the World • Development of Interoperable Data services • Global Water Cycle Portal • Water ML • -Precipitation • -Soil Moisture • Evaportran- spiration • Runoff/ Surface Water • Groundwater Part of IN-06

6. Deliverables 2. Global water quality information system Priority Actions: • Algorithms to interpret satellite data • Develop enabling processing platforms and tools • Select test cases and carry out demonstrations • System implementation • Build an integrated model system bringing together a global hydrologic model and GEMS in-situ wq data - Develop a sediment program. Leads: USA, Australia, Germany, Estonia, UNEP Contributors: Canada, IEEE, WMO, UNESCO

7. Deliverables 3. Cryosphere information system Priority Actions: • If we have a Cryosphere information system in GEO it will only be developed after the upcoming WMO Executive meeting Potential Leads: Canada, IEEE, USA Comments: The approach should emphasize the integrated nature of the information (GTOS comment)

8. Related 2009-2011 Work Plan Progress • The February 2011 Second African Water Cycle Initiative Symposium agreed to initiate two transboundary basin studies to demonstrate the value of GEO principles for water management in Africa. • The water cycle activities have engaged 1000’s of people in discussions about GEO; have brought research funds to advance issues/ products of interest to GEO; and have led to the registration of 240 products and services in the GCI, etc. • The Evapotranspiration workshop has launched an effort to make ET an ECV.

9. Related 2009-2011 Work Plan Progress • CEOS Water Cycle portal, which builds on CEOP and DIAS is ready to go “operational” • Soil moisture data center has developed a global mapping capability. • Precipitation (#1 GEO Variable) activities focused on key scientific issues (measurement of snow and drizzle), extending homogeneous global data sets for trend analysis and preparing for GPM. • User engagement activities using simulations to assess drought preparedness have provided assessments of information requirements. • Water quality COP established and has developed a plan for satellite applications to water quality mapping.

10. Re-organization of 2009-2011 Sub-tasks in the new work plan • Sub-Tasks to be integrated with other activities: WA-06-02A • Sub-Tasks to be moved: - WA-06-02C will move to climate activities - WA- 06-02B and WA-06-02D will move to DS-01 Remainder of the 10 other WA sub-tasks will be folded into DS-05 Deliverables 1 and 2 with WA-08-01G going to the deliverable 2 and the other 9 (including 3<4> of the top 7 variables from the US-09-01A survey) will be submerged into one deliverable.

11. Inclusion of New Proposals Deliverable 1: • ET to address the needs identified in the user survey and take advantage of major user interest in western USA • Integration of GTN-H data centers and CEOS Water Cycle Data Portal and Service (Builds on CEOP and DIAS) • Water ML • Assessment of benefits of EO in the water sector • Indicators of the status of water resources • Global Water Cycle Integrator

12. Inclusion of New Proposals (if any) Deliverable 2: • Sediment and Biogeochemical Sources, Fluxes and Sinks (Germany, Bonn University) Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (USA, USGEO) Incorporated into IN-02 It could support Deliverable 3 in a secondary way (if there is a Deliverable 3!)

13. Resources Available for Implementation (current status and in planning) • EC: Plans to have calls that will address DS-05 and other DS issues. Currently supporting EGIDA, GEO-WOW, etc • Japan: MEXT plans to continue support for data system development and Arctic observing systems. CB also is being supported by Japanese agencies. • USA – supports all aspects of Deliverables 1 and 2. • Germany – supports some aspects of Deliverables 1 and 2 • Others supporting meetings: Columbia, Brazil, China, Canada, WMO, UNESCO, etc Methods of access: Write proposals, co-op funded projects and people, proposals to ODAs.

14. Issues and Gaps Concerns raised: • Use of terms such as “system” and “operational” (thought to reflect different perspectives on ownership of activities) • New work plan appears to confuse links to strategic targets. • Coordination mechanisms beyond GEO for DS-05 activities is unclear (Issue for the IGWCO COP).

15. Issues and Gaps • Cryosphere – how do we address the regions of the world where climate change is producing the strongest signals? (Norway, others supportive of GEO initiative in this area) • The current structure appears to have consigned GEO activities of three of the variables most in demand by users to a sub-element of a deliverable within one of the tasks. (Not a good example of wanting to communicate how GEO is addressing the needs of the public)

16. Possible Measures to fill Gaps • Work on Cryosphere issues in the background with several options and be ready to roll out one of the options after WMO commitments are clearer. Loss of visibility for US-09-01A priorities. • May be too late but it has been suggested we redefine the global water cycle as a Task not a deliverable. Measurement of progress (very little discussion) Possible solution: Conduct of a “IGOS-P type theme assessment” of global water cycle activities one decade later.

17. Discussion