Title: The Global Water System Project
1The Global Water System Project
- Marcel Endejan
- GWSP International Project Office
- Bonn, Germany
-
Poznan, 24 Nov 2004
2Overview
- Global Water System Project
- Institutional Background
- Framing Questions Themes
- Implementation
- Linkages to BALTEX
3ESSP
4Dynamics of the GWS
5GWSP Central Tenet
- Human-induced changes to the global water
system are now globally significant and are being
modified without adequate understanding of how
the system works
6The Global Water System
Working definition The global suite of
water-related human, physical, biological, and
biogeochemical components and their interactions.
7ESSP Projects
BALTEX
8GWSP Research Niches
- Focus on global environmental change
- Science driven but policy-relevant
- Global perspective, taking local- and watershed
processes into account - Broad temporal perspective(Past-present-future
time domains) - Interdisciplinary integrative
- Focus on fresh water
9Goals Vision
- Gain a new understanding about the global water
system - Refine societys view of water
- Create a vision of future possible states of the
global water system
10GWSP Framing Document
The Framing Committee Joseph Alcamo (Chair),
Hartmut Grassl, Pavel Kabat, Felino Lansigan,
Richard Lawford, Dennis Lettenmaier, Christian
Leveque, Michel Meybeck, Robert Naiman, Claudia
Pahl-Wostl, Charles Vörösmarty Scoping Team
Carlo Jaeger, Dennis Lettenmaier,
Christian Leveque, Harry Lins, Michel Meybeck,
Madiodio Niasse, and Charles Vörösmarty
www.gwsp.org
11Overarching Question
- How are human actions changing the global
water system and what are the environmental and
socio-economic feedbacks arising from the
anthropogenic changes in the global water system?
12Framing Questions (Themes)
- What are the magnitudes and key mechanisms of
anthropogenic and environmental changes in the
GWS? - What are the main linkages and feedbacks within
the Earth system, arising from changes in the
GWS? - How resilient and adaptable is the GWS to change,
and what are sustainable management strategies?
13Mechanisms by which humans are affecting the GWS
reservoirs, withdrawal, transfers resulting
in stop-flow events, changes in nutrient and
sediment fluxes etc.
Glen Canyon Dam, USGS 1984
14Theme 1 Magnitudes and Mechanisms of Change
- Related activities
- 1.1 Water Governance the GWS
- 1.2 Land Cover Changes
- 1.3 Climate Change
- 1.4 Water Diversions
- 1.5 Nutrient and Sediment Transport
15Framing Questions (Themes)
- What are the magnitudes and key mechanisms of
anthropogenic and environmental changes in the
GWS? - What are the main linkages and feedbacks within
the Earth system, arising from changes in the
GWS? - How resilient and adaptable is the GWS to change,
and what are sustainable management strategies?
16Theme 2Linkages and Feedbacks
- Related activities
- 2.1 Linkages at Different Spatial Scales in the
Global Water System - 2.2 Legacy of Human and Natural Interactions in
the Global Water System
17Framing Questions (Themes)
- What are the magnitudes and key mechanisms of
anthropogenic and environmental changes in the
GWS? - What are the main linkages and feedbacks within
the Earth system, arising from changes in the
GWS? - How resilient and adaptable is the GWS to change,
and what are sustainable management strategies?
18Theme 3Resilience and Adaptation
- Related activities
- 3.1 Water Requirements for Nature and Humans
- 3.2 The Nature of Adaptive Capacity of the GWS
- 3.3 Approaches to Enhance Adaptive Capacity
- 3.4 The Provision of Ecosystem Goods Services
by the GWS
19Cross-cutting Research Activities
20Synthesis, Dialogue,Capacity Building, Education
- Goal reach a large audience
- Synthesise information
- Dialogue with stakeholders / policy makers
- Engage young scientist in international teams
- Education programme
- Co-operation with other research efforts
21Implementation
22Scientific Steering Committee
- Members of Executive Committee
- Prof. Dr. Joseph Alcamo (Chair)
- Prof. Dr. Dennis Lettenmaier
- Prof. Dr. Robert Naiman
- Prof. Dr. Claudia Pahl-Wostl
- Prof. Dr. Charles Vörösmarty (Chair)
- Full Scientific Steering Committee
- 15 scientistsrepresenting different
regions/research fields - First full SSC meeting in February 2005
23Implementation Phases
- Programme definition and initiation (2 years)
- Finalise research plan
- Launch short, medium, long term initiatives
- Programme implementation/product delivery (3)
- First short and medium term results
- Data synthesis and application of results (5)
- Synthesis, application and distribution of
results
24GWSP GEWEX/BALTEX
- Coupled modelling of climate, land and
hydrological processes - Inventories of surface water storage
- Data and prediction of climate variability
- Identifying worldwide impacts of water management
- Regional climate modelling
- Global climate change and water availability
- Urbanisation and water resources
25Conclusion
- Global Water System Project
- Consolidate various efforts into a unified,
dynamic research programme - Broaden knowledge about the GWSchanges linkages
feedbacks resilience and adaptive capacity - Establish monitoring indicators
- New numerical models, GWSP database
- Synergy effects in GWSP-BALTEX co-operation
26Get In Contact
- Global Water System Project
- International Project Office
- Walter-Flex-Str. 3
- 53113 Bonn, Germany
- Phone 49.228.73.6188
- Dr. Eric Craswell eric.craswell_at_uni-bonn.de
- Dr. Marcel Endejan marcel.endejan_at_uni-bonn.de
- Ms. Lara Wever lara.wever_at_uni-bonn.de
www.gwsp.org