Water security and the science agenda

Wheater, H. S.; Gober, Patricia

doi:10.1002/2015wr016892

Cited by 141 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…Thus, while the manifestations of human water access at the expense of freshwater ecosystem health may be at both local and regional scales, the widespread occurrence of both makes them a global issue (Haddeland et al, 2014, Wheater andGober, 2015). The governance systems in both industrialized and developing countries lack the capacity to handle these challenges and uncertainties (Pahl-Wostl et al, 2013;Pahl-Wostl, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals from a Water Perspective

Bhaduri

Bogárdi

Siddiqi

et al. 2016

Front. Environ. Sci.

183

105

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Efforts to meet human water needs at local scales may cause negative environmental externalities and stress on the water system at regional and global scales. Hence, assessing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets requires a broad and in-depth knowledge of the global to local dynamics of water availability and use. Furthermore, interactions and trade-offs between different SDG targets may lead to sub-optimal or even adverse outcomes if the set of actions are not properly pre-designed to consider such inter-linkages. Thus, scientific research and evidence have an important role to play in facilitating the implementation of SDGs through assessments and policy engagement from global to local scales. This paper addresses some of these challenges related to implementation and monitoring of the targets of the SDGs from a water perspective, based on the key findings of a conference organized in 2015 focused on three essential aspects of SDGs: indicators, inter-linkages, and implementation. The paper argues that indicators should not be too simple and should ultimately deliver sustainability measures. The paper highlights that remote sensing and earth observation technologies can play a key role in supporting the monitoring of water targets. It also recognizes that implementing SDGs is a societal process of development, and there is a need to link how SDGs relate to public benefits and to communicate this to the broader public.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals from a Water Perspective

Bhaduri

Bogárdi

Siddiqi

et al. 2016

Front. Environ. Sci.

183

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While the CRHM has performed well in a number of watersheds across Canada, its performance has not been evaluated in intensively managed agricultural watersheds in the Canadian Prairies, which is home to 80 % of the country's agriculture (Wheater and Gober, 2015). Prairie agroecosystems are characterized by modified topography, annual cropping systems, and enhanced hydrologic connectivity that set them apart from other cold-region ecosystems, and it has been challenging to accurately model these processes using other platforms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulating cold-region hydrology in an intensively drained agricultural watershed in Manitoba, Canada, using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model

Cordeiro

Wilson

Vanrobaeys

et al. 2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Etrophication and flooding are perennial problems in agricultural watersheds of the northern Great Plains. A high proportion of annual runoff and nutrient transport occurs with snowmelt in this region. Extensive surface drainage modification, frozen soils, and frequent backwater or icedamming impacts on flow measurement represent unique challenges to accurately modelling watershed-scale hydrological processes. A physically based, non-calibrated model created using the Cold Regions Hydrological Modelling platform (CRHM) was parameterized to simulate hydrological processes within a low slope, clay soil, and intensively surface drained agricultural watershed. These characteristics are common to most tributaries of the Red River of the north. Analysis of the observed water level records for the study watershed (La Salle River) indicates that ice cover and backwater issues at time of peak flow may impact the accuracy of both modelled and measured streamflows, highlighting the value of evaluating a non-calibrated model in this environment. Simulations best matched the streamflow record in years when peak and annual discharges were equal to or above the medians of 6.7 m 3 s −1 and 1.25 ×10 7 m 3 , respectively, with an average Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.76. Simulation of low-flow years (below the medians) was more challenging (average NSE < 0), with simulated discharge overestimated by 90 % on average. This result indicates the need for improved understanding of hydrological response in the watershed under drier conditions. Simulation during dry years was improved when infiltration was allowed prior to soil thaw, indicating the potential importance of preferential flow. Representation of in-channel dynamics and travel time under the flooded or ice-jam conditions should also receive attention in further model development efforts. Despite the complexities of the study watershed, simulations of flow for average to high-flow years and other components of the water balance were robust (snow water equivalency (SWE) and soil moisture). A sensitivity analysis of the flow routing model suggests a need for improved understanding of watershed functions under both dry and flooded conditions due to dynamic routing conditions, but overall CRHM is appropriate for simulation of hydrological processes in agricultural watersheds of the Red River. Falsifications of snow sublimation, snow transport, and infiltration to frozen soil processes in the validated base model indicate that these processes were very influential in stream discharge generation.

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“…Accurate forecasting is becoming increasingly more important, because the frequency and magnitude of low-and high-streamflow events are projected to increase in many areas in the world as a result of climate change (IPCC, 2014). In addition, due to socio-economic development the impacts of extreme events increase further (Bouwer et al, 2010;Fleming, 2016;Rojas et al, 2013;Wheater and Gober, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of ensemble streamflow forecasts under varied hydrometeorological conditions

Benninga

Booij

Romanowicz

et al. 2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. The paper presents a methodology that gives insight into the performance of ensemble streamflowforecasting systems. We have developed an ensemble forecasting system for the Biała Tarnowska, a mountainous river catchment in southern Poland, and analysed the performance for lead times ranging from 1 to 10 days for low, medium and high streamflow and different hydrometeorological conditions. Precipitation and temperature forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts served as inputs to a deterministic lumped hydrological (HBV) model. Due to a non-homogeneous bias in time, pre-and post-processing of the meteorological and streamflow forecasts are not effective. The best forecast skill, relative to alternative forecasts based on meteorological climatology, is shown for high streamflow and snow accumulation lowstreamflow events. Forecasts of medium-streamflow events and low-streamflow events under precipitation deficit conditions show less skill. To improve performance of the forecasting system for high-streamflow events, the meteorological forecasts are most important. Besides, it is recommended that the hydrological model be calibrated specifically on lowstreamflow conditions and high-streamflow conditions. Further, it is recommended that the dispersion (reliability) of the ensemble streamflow forecasts is enlarged by including the uncertainties in the hydrological model parameters and the initial conditions, and by enlarging the dispersion of the meteorological input forecasts.

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Water security and the science agenda

Cited by 141 publications

References 93 publications

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals from a Water Perspective

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals from a Water Perspective

Simulating cold-region hydrology in an intensively drained agricultural watershed in Manitoba, Canada, using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model

Performance of ensemble streamflow forecasts under varied hydrometeorological conditions

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