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International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre. A Global Monitoring of Groundwater Resources. Sophie Vermooten, Hydrogeologist. Koblenz, September 2007. What is IGRAC?.
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International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre A Global Monitoring of Groundwater Resources Sophie Vermooten, Hydrogeologist Koblenz, September 2007
What is IGRAC? • A non-profit centre that facilitates and promotes global sharing of information and knowledge required for sustainable groundwater resources development and management. • An initiative of UNESCO and WMO from 1999, • Launched at WWF3 in Kyoto in Spring 2003, • Receives financial support from the Dutch government, • Hosted by TNO, Subsurface and Groundwater unit at Utrecht (NL) • From January 2008, this unit will be part of new Dutch institute called DELTARES together with WL delft hydraulics, Geodelft and parts of RIZA and RIKZ
Groundwater represents globally: • 96% of the fresh ’fluid’ water • 23% of the irrigation water • 53% of public water demand • 97% of rural drinking water
link to info source attribute values document info Meta Information Module Global overview
organisation info people info Meta Information Module Global overview
Multimedia facility Collaborative environment Meta Information Module Global overview
Groundwater Monitoring: Inventories and Database • Inventory of existing guidelines and protocols for groundwater assessment and monitoring • World-wide inventory of groundwater monitoring
Global Groundwater Monitoring System (GGMS) • No systematic monitoring and assessment of groundwater change on global scale. • IGRAC intends to establish a sustainable GGMS for a periodic assessment of the global change of groundwater resources • GGMS postulates: • A system rather then a network – use ofexisting networks • Aggregated groundwater information carried out by regional specialists, involving point measurements and proxy values • Web-based collection, analysis and dissemination of information
GGMS: use of existing networks • Why not a new network? • Extremely difficult to set up and sustain (incentives and mandate), • Favorable position of IGRAC as UNESCO/WMO centre. • Inventory on: • Networks/programmes which gather groundwater data (aggregated or not) • Networks/programmes that use data collection procedures potentially applicable for the GGMS • The people networks that might be useful to get data
GGMS: the aggregation procedure • Why aggregated information? • Limited representativeness of point measurements (aggregation using the expert knowledge and proxy values) • Obstacles related to international exchange of data (aggregated value is derived information). • Yet to be defined (by an expert group next month) • Monitoring density (grid uniform for all the countries and all the variables?) • Monitoring frequency (monthly, yearly) • Monitoring variables (levels, quality, groundwater use…) • Aggregated and also (by regional expert) derived values?
GGMS: the web-based system • Why web-based system? • Easy reporting and analysis tool (only a browser required), • A control over information provided, • Involvement and recognition. • A prototype developed (ArcGIS9.2 & Oracle) • An operational version : • Implemented country estimation/ aggregation procedure • A simple upload of proxy data • Transboundary harmonisation and global aggregation • Presentation functionality (spatial & time-series outputs) • Download facility
GGMS: synergy with Remote Sensing • Interpretation of GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) observations as a complementary approach to the terrestrial measurements • Use of other Remote Sensing techniques for the groundwater monitoring on regional scale
GGMS: synergy with Global Models • Use of regional/global hydrological models for simulation and prediction purposes
GGMS: the further steps • IGWCO/GARS/UNESCO groundwater group:The second meeting/workshop at IGRAC, 18-19 October 2007 • GRAPHIC (Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change) • GEO Water Task WA-06-05 (global in-situ water observations) • EC FP7 Environment
Our questions • Are there possibilities/opportunities to join existing networks (people networks) • What is your experience when gathering data on a country level?
www.igrac.nl Thank you for your attention