FutureWater

FutureWater neemt deel aan Werkveldcommissie WUR Bodem Water Atmosfeer

Ge — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:47:24 +0000

De BSc.-studie Soil Water Atmosphere en MSc.-studie Earth and Environment van de WUR kennen een zogenaamde Werkveldcommissie. In deze commissie zitten vertegenwoordigers van bedrijven en instellingen waar afgestudeerden van WUR werkzaam zijn, zoals DHV, Rijkswaterstaat Waterdienst, TCB, Meteoconsult, het RIVM Lab voor Ecologische Risico-beoordeling en Witteveen+Bos. FutureWater maakt onderdeel uit van deze commissie in de persoon van Gé van den Eertwegh (WUR MSc. 1990, PhD. 2002).

De Werkveldcommissie heeft een adviserende rol richting de WUR-Opleidingscommissie en het Opleidingsteam BWA. Het advies betreft de aansluiting van de studieprofielen op de praktijk van de door de WUR-student opgedane kennis van bodem, water en atmosfeer. Punten van overleg zijn o.a. vormgeving en invulling van de studieprogramma’s, aandachtspunten bij visitaties en tijdige uitwisseling van nieuwe plannen en ideeën. We proberen zo de opleidingen goed af te stemmen op de veranderende, maar ook deels dezelfde blijvende behoefte vanuit de praktijk aan Wageningse studenten en hun manier van werken en denken in en om de leeflaag van onze aarde: maatschappelijk relevante kennis voor onderzoek en advies.

FutureWater abre una oficina en España

Johannes — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:36:41 +0000

Este mes se ha abierto en España una nueva oficina de FutureWater. Se ha puesto en marcha junto con varios investigadores de la Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Después de varios meses de preparación, esta rama de FutureWater se creó recientemente con participación holandesa y española. La oficina estará en la ciudad de Cartagena, dentro de la Región de Murcia.

La nueva sucursal combina el conocimiento holandés y español en el ámbito de la gestión del agua en la agricultura y la planificación de recursos hídricos a escala de cuenca hidrográfica. Por un lado, esta iniciativa ampliará el alcance de FutureWater a la cuenca Mediterránea, aportando su amplia experiencia en estudios estratégicos y cuantitativos para una gestión del agua más óptimo. Por otro lado, FutureWater se verá reforzada por la participación de expertos españoles con una larga trayectoria en temas relacionados con la escasez hídrica en las regiones semiáridas.

En breve se publicarán mas detalles sobre las actividades españolas a través de nuestra página web. Para más información contacta con Johannes Hunink: j.hunink@futurewater.nl

FutureWater opens office in Spain

wilco — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:43:19 +0000

A new FutureWater office has opened in Spain this month. It was launched together with several researchers from the Technical University of Cartagena. After several months of preparation, this FutureWater branch was set up very recently, with both Dutch and Spanish participation. The office will be in the city of Cartagena, in the Murcia Region, the south-eastern and Mediterranean part of Spain.

The new branch combines both Dutch and Spanish expertise on agricultural water management, integrated watershed management and drought and water scarcity issues. On one hand, by this initiative FutureWater will expand its reach to the Mediterranean basin, contributing its broad experience on strategic and quantitative water management studies. On the other hand, the FutureWater know-how will be enhanced by the involvement of experts with a long track-record on issues related to water scarcity in semi-arid regions and connected to the Agronomy and to the Civil Engineering departments of Cartagena University.

Soon, more information will be made available on the Spanish activities and specific expertise, through our website. For more info, email to Johannes Hunink: j.hunink@futurewater.nl

Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme

Arthur — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:18:45 +0000

Within the framework of the Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP) coordinated by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), FutureWater has started an assessment of future water availability scenarios for the upstream Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganges basins.

The HICAP programme focuses on seven components:

1. Climate change scenarios
2. Water availability and demand scenarios
3. Ecosystem services
4. Food security
5. Vulnerability and adaptation
6. Women in adaptation
7. Communications and outreach

FutureWater is involved in component 2 (water availability and demand scenarios) and develops hydrological models for the mountainous upstream basins to assess water availability up to 2050 including several climate change scenarios based on the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.

The objectives for this study are to:
• Assess climate change scenarios and develop water availability scenarios corresponding to base and future climate scenarios at sub-basin and catchment scales in the three basins;
• Improve our understanding of the partitioning of runoff contribution from different natural sources (snow, glacier, rainfall and base flow);
• Detailed analysis of uncertainty of water availability scenarios and assessment of hydropower potential for five pilot catchments.

FutureWater closely collaborates with ICIMOD and three international partners representing the countries in the downstream basins (IWMI Pakistan, IIT Delhi, IWM Bangladesh), who will do the climate change impact assessment for the downstream parts of the three river basins. The start-up meeting for component 2 (Water availability and demand scenarios) took place on 8 February 2012 at ICIMOD in Kathmandu.

The HICAP Programme is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Norway.

Green Water Credits Proof of Concepts workshop in Fèz, Morocco

wilco — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:06:35 +0000

During 12-16 December 2011, FutureWater was in Fèz for a workshop to finalize the Proof-of-Concepts phase of the Green Water Credits (GWC) project in the Sebou River basin, Morocco. Green Water Credits is a mechanism for payments to land users in return for specified soil and water management activities that determine the water supply to stakeholders in the basin. Green Water Credits can be seen as an investment mechanism for upstream farmers to practice soil and water management activities that generate benefits for downstream water users, which are currently unrecognized and unrewarded. This initiative is driven by economic, environmental and social benefits. The implementation of GWC has the potential of enhancing overall water management by reducing damaging runoff, increase groundwater recharge, simulate a more reliable flow regime, and reduce harmful sedimentation of reservoirs.The first three days were used for an intensive training course in SWAT modelling. The course was given at the Agence Du Bassin Hydraulique Du Sebou (ABHS).

During the workshop the results of the Proof-of-Concepts phase were discussed with the stakeholders. FutureWater presented the results of the biophysical analysis and cost-benefit analysis. The three GWC options analyzed, being “Stone lines”, “Bench terraces”, and “Contour tillage”, showed a significant decrease in sediment inflow into the reservoirs, a decrease in surface runoff, and increase in groundwater recharge. A final presentation was given by Mr. H. Benadderrazik, who focused on the institutional and financial aspects for the implementation of GWC measures in the Sebou basin.

Friday was used for a morning discussion on the funding and consecutive steps to be taken for phase II.

Una nueva dirección y oficina en Holanda

Johannes — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:29:06 +0000

Desde el 9 de diciembre de 2011, la oficina de FutureWater se ha mudado a una nueva ubicación. Nuestra nueva oficina tiene una sala de reuniones más grande y ofrece más espacio de trabajo. La dirección de nuestra nueva oficina es:

FutureWater
Costerweg 1V
6702 AA Wageningen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 317 460050

También se está acercando cada vez más la fecha del lanzamiento de la oficina en España. Pronto habrá más noticias.

FutureWater verhuisd naar nieuwe locatie

wilco — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:30:44 +0000

FutureWater is sinds 9 december 2011 verhuisd naar een nieuw adres. Ons nieuwe adres biedt meer mogelijkheden met betrekking tot vergader ruimten en werkplekken. Het nieuwe adres is:

FutureWater
Costerweg 1V
6702 AA Wageningen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)317 460050

FutureWater moves to new address

wilco — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:27:48 +0000

Since 9 December 2011, the office of FutureWater has moved to a new location. Our new office has a larger meeting room and offers more work space. The address of our new location is:

FutureWater
Costerweg 1V
6702 AA Wageningen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)317 460050

FutureWater presents the DMIAT for Vietnam during the Water & Climate Services workshop

walter — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:02:07 +0000

In November, NL EVD International commissioned a call to write a proposal for an ‘Early Deliverable’ to be presented in Vietnam. The call to write a proposal was send to the partners of the ‘Convenant Informatieketen voor Water en Klimaat’ (CIWK). FutureWater, among Neelen & Schuurmans and HKV, were selected to present an ‘Early Deliverable’ in Ho Chin Minh City during the Water & Climate Services workshop on the 24th of November. The goal of this ‘Early Deliverable’ was to demonstrate to the people in Vietnam what the Dutch water sector can offer to Vietnam, with respect to Water & Climate related services. This project was performed in collaboration with the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) and the Netherlands Water Platform (NWP).

During the Water & Climate Services workshop in Ho Chin Minh City, Wilco Terink from FutureWater presented the Drought Monitoring and Impact Assessment Toolbox (DMIAT) as ‘Early Deliverable’ for Vietnam. The DMIAT was developed by FutureWater over the last couple of years, and it can be seen as a combination of tools, models, remote sensing and decision trees. The DMIAT is a framework to assess the four consecutive stages of a drought: meteorological drought, agricultural drought, hydrological drought, and socio-economic impact assessment. Last year the DMIAT was developed for the Mekong River Basin Commission (MRC).

The presentation during the workshop was closed with a discussion between Vice-Minister Lai, dr. Nguyen Xuan Lam, Prof. Cees Veerman, the Dutch experts, and the Vietnamese stakeholders.

Two workshops finalize Design Phase of Green Water Credits – Kenya

wilco — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:52:05 +0000

A pre-concluding workshop for Green Water Credits Kenya, Phase II, was held from 6-7 September 2011 in Nairobi, focused on decision makers. Presentations and documents can be viewed here on the GWC website. Peter Droogers of FutureWater assisted this meeting and presented the key findings and conclusions of the biophysicial and cost-benefit analysis.

The meeting has been followed by a concluding workshop targeted at all the stakeholders in GWC Kenya, which took place in Nyeri from 20-22 September 2011. Presentations and documents can be viewed here. Johannes Hunink of FutureWater presented the potential benefits for upstream farmers and downstream stakeholders.

More info at http://greenwatercredits.org/