Op 25 juni vierden we de succesvolle afsluiting van het RoSPro-project met een nationale workshop in Nepal. Het evenement bracht de belangrijkste belanghebbenden samen om na te denken over de positieve resultaten van het project, zoals verbeterde toegang tot bronwater, veerkracht van wegen en participatie van gemeenschappen in waterbeheer.

Een van de hoogtepunten van het project was het beslissingsondersteunende systeem dat door FutureWater is ontwikkeld. Dit systeem integreert hydrologische (als gevolg van het SPHY hydrologisch model), geospatiale en socio-economische gegevens in een gebruiksvriendelijk platform, waardoor gegevensgestuurde beslissingen voor duurzaam waterbeheer mogelijk worden. Daarnaast biedt het systeem een eenvoudige kosten-batencalculator om belanghebbenden te helpen het potentieel van voorgestelde beheersmaatregelen voor bergbronnen te beoordelen.

De workshop benadrukte de mogelijkheid om de aanpak uit te breiden naar andere regio’s en het DSS te gebruiken als leidraad voor toekomstige inspanningen op het gebied van bronbescherming en waterbeheer. We hopen dit werk in de toekomst voort te zetten

Een vrij toegankelijke versie van de DSS is hier beschikbaar

Coverafbeelding van de DSS

De aanpak van FutureWater en Galayr is zowel wetenschappelijk rigoureus als contextueel onderbouwd, zodat het ontwikkelde droogtemodel lokaal relevant, duurzaam en volledig geïntegreerd is in bestaande nationale systemen zoals die van SODMA en NADFOR. In het model worden top-down (gegevensgestuurd, met behulp van machinaal leren) en bottom-up (op basis van informatie van belanghebbenden) benaderingen gecombineerd, waarbij satellietgegevens, klimaatindices en inheemse kennis worden gecombineerd om gezamenlijk op impact gebaseerde voorspellingen en op consensus gebaseerde triggers voor anticiperende actie te ontwikkelen.

Voor de ontwikkeling van het droogtevoorspellingsmodel en de kennisoverdracht richten we ons op de volgende pijlers:

  • Een gefaseerd werkplan dat institutionele capaciteitsbeoordelingen, modelontwikkeling, validatie, overleg met belanghebbenden en praktische capaciteitsopbouw omvat.
  • Toepassing van geavanceerde voorspellingsmodellen, variërend van ARIMA en regressie tot meer geavanceerde machine learning-technieken, met behoud van de focus op bruikbaarheid en institutionele adoptie.
  • Een sterke nadruk op kennisoverdracht, inclusief trainingsprogramma’s en het opzetten van een gezamenlijk platform voor het delen van kennis met behulp van het FutureWater Academy-platform
  • Een robuust risicomanagementplan, inclusief mitigatiestrategieën voor dataschaarste, betrokkenheid van belanghebbenden en institutioneel verloop.

To ensure effective implementation, FutureWater will maintain continuous engagement with ARA-Sul, providing technical support and collecting feedback through online sessions. This collaboration will help address challenges in system integration, troubleshoot issues, and refine functionalities. A significant component of this phase is the development of a comprehensive user manual and training materials, including PowerPoint slide decks, to guide ARA-Sul staff in effectively utilizing the tool for water licensing assessments. By embedding the tool within ARA-Sul’s operations, FutureWater aims to enhance decision-making capabilities and streamline the management of water resources in the region.

On the 28th of January our colleague Evelyn Aparicio Medrano as a panelist during the Colombia Water Platform Meeting.

During the event, organized by Partners for Water, we shared our experience of working in Colombia. Particularly we guided the discussion under pilar 2 which refers to supporting and stimulating project implementation and continuation. FutureWater is active in Colombia since 2017 implementing the HERMANA project.

HERMANA aims to foster the development of an integrated water management decision support system (DSS) that supports daily, tactical and strategic decision-making related to water resources in Colombia, and specifically in the Cauca Valley Basin. The HERMANA tool is a comprehensive system able to provide valuable, relevant, and reliable groundwater and surface water data, and information to high level decision makers and specific users, to an appropriate level of detail and at the time that it is required. HERMANA, which is based on the example of such integrated real-time decision support systems recently developed at selected Water Boards in the Netherlands, is executed by a solid team of experts in water resources, DSS, operational, tactical, and strategic water management and governance, that can work together to support water managers and governments around the world.

Panel Discussion – Water Platform Meeting

 

Last two weeks, the GLOW project held a roadshow through Mozambique, Eswatini, and South Africa presenting the innovative water management solution GLOW to local stakeholders. By combining weather forecasts, hydrological, and water resource modelling, together with visualisation tools, the GLOW service addresses transboundary water challenges, enhances water security, and provides actionable water management advice in the transboundary Maputo and Umbuluzi River Basins.

The GLOW team, composed of FutureWater, Hydrologic, and Emanti Management, recently completed a roadshow to present the progress and advancements of the ‘GLObal Water Availability Forecasting Service to Support Water Security’ (GLOW) project. The roadshow demonstrated how GLOW integrates weather forecasts, hydrological, and water resource modelling, together with visualisation tools to address the challenges of water availability and demand in the transboundary Maputo and Umbuluzi River Basins. Piloted with the support of the Partners for Water programme of RVO and Blue Deal Mozambique, the project focuses on scalable solutions that strengthen regional water security and governance.

GLOW addresses challenges in transboundary water resources management, which are increasingly complicated by climate change-driven droughts, flooding, and rising water demands. By integrating hydrological models such as PCR-GLOBWB and the water allocation model WEAP with meteorological forecasts, GLOW delivers accurate forecasts of water availability and demand. These forecasts, ranging from short-term (10 days) to seasonal (6 months), provide stakeholders, including water managers, dam operators, and decision-makers, with early warnings for droughts, floods, and actionable water allocation advisories. Delivered through the HydroNET platform, GLOW’s forecasts are easily accessible via user-friendly dashboards and reporting tools, helping support both operational and strategic water management across the region. The pilot demonstrates GLOW’s potential to improve water management by simulating a variety of user-defined management scenarios, highlighting the system’s role in supporting transboundary water governance and achieving SDGs 2, 6, and 13. 

From the inception of the project, GLOW has been developed with involvement from the stakeholders in the Maputo and Umbuluzi River Basins, including the Joint River Basin Authorities (JRBA) of Eswatini, Mozambique’s Regional Administration of Waters in the South (ARA-Sul), National Directorate of Water Resources Management (DNGRH) and South Africa’s Inkomati-Usuthu (IUCMA) and Pongola-Umzimkhulu (PUCMA) Catchment Management Agencies. Through user requirements sessions, the varying needs of these authorities were mapped to ensure that GLOW is tailored to their specific challenges. The recent roadshow served as a platform to present the project’s progress, share key findings, and engage in open discussions about further enhancements. This ongoing dialogue is crucial for ensuring its alignment with the needs of water authorities and maximizing its impact in addressing real-world water security challenges. 

Presentation of Evelyn Aparicio Medrano
Presentation of Tijmen Schults

FutureWater recently concluded a two-week training program for the Blue Deal partnerships of Mozambique and Eswatini, aimed at enhancing the technical skills of water management professionals from ARA-Sul (Administração Regional de Águas do Sul), ARA-Norte (Administração Regional de Águas do Norte), and the Joint River Basin Authorities (JRBA) from Eswatini. For the training, six water experts travelled to The Netherlands to follow training sessions on a variety of topics related to water management. The collaboration between FutureWater and Blue Deal, funded through the Dutch Water Authorities, was organised to strengthen local capacity in water resource management and transboundary cooperation between the regional institutions.

The training, mostly held at the FutureWater office in Wageningen, focused primarily on applying WEAP (Water Evaluation And Planning), open-source data, tools, and flying sensors for agriculture. Over the past year, multiple WEAP models were co-created by FutureWater together with the local water authorities of Mozambique. For ARA-Norte, a strategic water allocation model for the Monapo River Basin was developed in WEAP. This basin is important for domestic and industrial water supply for Nampula, the third largest city in Mozambique inhabited by close to a million people. The model can be used for long-term planning and decision-making in the basin. For ARA-Sul, two WEAP models were developed. At first, an operational water allocation model was created for the Pequenos Libombos Reservoir, which supplies water to the Maputo City metropolitan and surrounding irrigation schemes. Additionally, a groundwater balance tool was developed for the same area. Both models can be used in assessing requests for water licensing and operational reservoir management and planning. During the training weeks, the water experts were trained in the use of the models and discussions were held on further improvement.

Besides WEAP modelling, the training program featured visits to the Water Boards Rijn & IJssel, and Vallei & Veluwe where firsthand experience was gained in Dutch water management. The training participants visited the control room at the water boards and several hydraulic infrastructure works or projects such as Room for the River. A demonstration day on flying sensors was provided together with our partner HiView providing practical knowledge on the use of drones in mapping floods or agricultural fields. We took the opportunity to hold user validation sessions to further develop the services of the GLObal Water Availability Forecasting Service (GLOW) with Hydrologic. Our collaboration with Blue Deal continues for the coming period.

Drone demonstration in Wageningen
Participants with certificates
Training at FutureWater office

The WEAP model simulates water availability, supply, and demand on a small scale for over 40 irrigation, domestic, and industrial sites, running on a daily timestep to include detailed reservoir operations and water use abstractions. The updated WEAP model was co-designed together with ARA-Sul, the regional water authorities of southern Mozambique. Monthly meetings were held to support information sharing and co-ownership throughout the project.

The model will aid ARA-Sul in water accounting and the licensing of water users served by the Pequenos Libombos Reservoir. The Pequenos Libombos Reservoir, with a storage capacity of 350 MCM, is the main water supplier to the Maputo Metropolitan Area inhabited by over 3 million people. In June 2024 sessions were held in The Netherlands were ARA-Sul was trained in the usage of the model.

The cover picture was taken by David Mucambe (ARA-Sul).

The Asian Development Bank, the Netherlands Water Partnership, and the Dutch Government hosted an intensive week-long programme that brought together 48 delegates from 12 project teams across 11 Asian participating countries and water experts from the Netherlands. The Asian and Dutch parties expanded their knowledge and shared experiences regarding Nature-based Solutions for cities, coasts, and river basins through lectures, interactive sessions, and field visits. The participants came from Armenia, Bangladesh, the Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. 

On the day preceding the week, FutureWater participated in the Asian Development Bank’s Business Opportunity Seminar on Water, organized by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) in The Hague. Sonu Khanal and Arthur Lutz met with ADB representatives and shared FutureWater’s experiences in working with the Asian Development Bank in the plenary panel discussion. 

During the Asia-Netherlands Water Learning Week, Evelyn Aparicio Medrano and Arthur Lutz joined the programme to learn more about the Asian project teams, and the challenges they face in implementing Nature-based Solutions in their projects. Besides sharing our experience with Nature-based Solutions with the participants, Evelyn Aparicio Medrano presented work done by FutureWater in the Masterclass on financial sustainability of projects with Nature-based Solutions. She presented a How-to Guide to develop watershed investment programs which FutureWater developed jointly with The Nature Conservancy. 

We thank the Netherlands Water Partnership, the Asian Development Bank and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency for organising these fruitful events!

Presentation by Evelyn Aparcio
Social Event

 

Om de doelstellingen te bereiken, heeft het project een technische component en een component voor betrokkenheid van belanghebbenden. Aan de technische kant zullen hydrologische modellen worden bijgewerkt en gevalideerd. Klimaatveranderingsscenario’s zullen worden gebruikt als input voor het testen van adaptatiestrategieën binnen het Limpopo-bekken. De adaptatiestrategieën omvatten traditionele grijze infrastructuur en daarnaast op de natuur gebaseerde oplossingen. De batenanalyse van de adaptatiemaatregelen zal zowel macro- als micro-sociaal-economische voordelen omvatten.

De resultaten van deze studie zullen vervolgens worden gebruikt om de ontwikkeling van een eerste generatie Grensoverschrijdende Diagnostische Analyse (TDA) voor het Limpopo-rivierbekken (LRB) te ondersteunen. Hierdoor zullen de afzonderlijke landen in het stroomgebied het eens worden over een reeks grensoverschrijdende ontwikkelingsprioriteiten voor het bekken. Deze prioriteiten zullen toekomstige grensoverschrijdende en nationale investeringen sturen via een Strategisch Actieplan (SAP) en Nationale Actieplannen (NAP’s).

Within the project we cooperate with the hydrologists of ARA-Norte to discuss and establish the baseline for a water system analysis in the Monapo Catchment. Following discussion and mapping sessions, FutureWater is developing a Water Allocation Model in WEAP that includes climate change scenarios and mitigation and adaptation measures to asses the water availability of the catchment. Part of the assignment includes continuous training to local professional, to ensure the application of the developed model in the analysis of the system and elaborating specific proposal for implementation in the region.