Earth observation for sustainable water

Earth Observation in Support of a Sustainable Water Sector

RESEWAM-O Action GroupErnesto [email protected] University of Valencia, Spain

2016 EIP Water Conference How is Water Innovation Succeeding in Europe? Side Meeting on Water Reuse - Status and Contribution to the EU

InitiativeLeeurwarden, The Netherlands, 10 February 2016

• Our innovation• (1) Earth Observation in Support of a Sustainable Water

Sector• Identify and recover water-stressed agricultural areas• (Smart) Precision Agriculture• Water engineering: water treatment plants agricultural fields irrigation

• (2) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)• Capacity Building• World Water Day 2016

Contents



RESEWAM-O• well defined Innovation Opportunity service• envisaging the provision of a versatile methodology

• -in principle applicable in all sensitive areas in the world-• integrating

• knowledge, diagnostic and monitoring capacity of remote sensing

• optimum engineering solutions• efficient financial tools

the problem (water scarcity) and the solution (water resources connections, treatment plants, preserving freshwater supplies for urban uses that will be connected through a feasibility plan) are approached together within the same vision.

RESEWAM-O - REmote SEnsing for WAter Management Optimization (AG132)



RESEWAM-O EIP Water Action Group aims

to develop agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change activities using• Earth Observation Remote Sensing techniques and• Water Management solutions

in order to enhance socio-economical and environmental values in water sensitive areas.

Through a multidisciplinary• scientific,• industrial and• administration composition

RESEWAM-O studies negative climate impacts in water-deficit lands to reactivate them and generate income.

RESEWAM-O puts together administration, agricultural farmers/cooperatives and companies suppliers of water services to develop services and products helping various economic sectors adapting to climate change, especially focusing on energy and water utilities



RESEWAM-O’s main goal isto create an innovative methodology

for water resources re-distributionby combining• remote sensing diagnosing tools,• economic feasibility studies,• engineer knowledge and• policy decisions

to correctly manage all water resources,mainly waste water, and recover life in unprofitable areas.

REMOTESENSING

SOILS/ VEGETATION

MODELLING & CLIMATE

PROJECTIONS

WATERENGINEERING

ECONOMICANALYSIS

WATERQUALITY

AREAS OF INTEREST

ENV.IMPACT

ANALYSIS

LCA

Viability

3

21 Identific.

Cost/Benefit

4



RESEWAM-O’s main goal is

The envisaged end product is a robust integrated software toolbox for

• water scarcity detection,• diagnosis and assessment,• optimum solution completion, and• feasibility plan

for water re-distribution,in principle applicable in any water-scarce area

of the world.

2016 EIP Water Conference How is Water Innovation Succeeding in Europe?

Side Meeting on Water Reuse - Status and Contribution to the EU InitiativeLeeurwarden, The Netherlands, 09 February 2016

RESEWAM-O’s StructureViability

Cost/Benefit

Knowledge Base

Soils &Vegetation• CEBAS-CSIC• EEAD-CSIC• IVIA

Modeling & Climate Projection

s• FIC• KIT

Remote Sensing• GMV• UVEG

Business Plan / Economic Analysis

• UVEG

WaterEngineering

• INDEFA

WaterQuality

• LEQUIA• Uni.Bologne

Env. Impact

LCA

• IAT



2011 2012 2013 Average 2011-2012-2013



Hot Spots Segura River Basin

identification ofwater stressed areas

distribution of reclaimed water





11

• (Smart) Precision Agriculture• role of soil moisture• ET as E + T (separately!) in irrigated agriculture• optimising irrigation• water consumption• relation of crop production to water use• efficiency and productivity in agricultural usage of

water, which frees up availability of water for other sectors such as municipal and industrial uses

• Drought Monitoring and Forecasting

Our innovation (1):Earth Observation in Support of a Sustainable Water Sector

Use of Reclaimed Water



12

Water (and carbon) footprints




13


• Development & assistance/assessment in decision-making

• Decision support system for authorities in water resource management

http://www.equariusrisk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Water-risk-elephant.png

“If MITIGATION is about CARBON, then ADAPTATION is about WATER” (John Slater, MLA. Parliamentary Secretary for Water Supply and Allocation, Province of British Columbia)

http://www.equariusrisk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Water-risk-elephant.png



14

LCTLife Cycle Thinking

LCALife Cycle Assessment

(environmental aspects)

LCCLife Cycle Costing

(economic aspects)

LCMLife Cycle Management(management aspects)

Standard ISO 14040 e 44

CBA, SLCACost Benefit Analysis, Social LCA(social & environmental aspects)

Our innovation (2):Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

“in order to consider a green process or activity, it is necessary to assess the cumulative environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of the product:• raw material extraction• manufacturing• use• maintenance• reuse• transportation and• final fateThis is done by using life cycle inventory and assessment concepts […]”C. Jiménez-Gonzàlez, D.J.C. Constable, Green Chemistry and Engineering: A Practical DesignApproach, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, 2011

Which approach does it help to evaluate sustainability?



15

ISO 14040 and 14044 (2006)Why LCA? Standardised and holistic approach




162014 2015 Average2.5

25.0

250.0

2500.0

17

1,971

994

5

376

191

kg CO2 eq / hakg CO2 eq / 1000 kg of grape

Carbon Footprint LCA: Vineyard case study

Verify environmental effects per hectare cultivated and/or per amount produced (by year)




172014 2015 Average2.5

25.0

250.0

2500.0

17

1,971

994

5

376

191


Verify the environmental effects of agricultural practice:• increase of the

carbon fluxes as a result of manure spreading

Carbon Footprint LCA: Vineyard case

study




182014 2015 Average2.5

25.0

250.0

2500.0

17

1,971

994

5

376

191


/ 1 kg

of be

ef

/ 100

0 kg o

f grap

e

/ 111

8 km by

plan

e0

100200300

30

191257

kg C

O2

eq.

Carbon Footprint Compare results with other different scenarios

LCA: Vineyard case study




192014 2015 Average2.5

25.0

250.0

2500.0

17

1,971

994

5

376

191


Carbon Footprint Quantify the average social effect associated to the environmental loads: US Environmental Protection Agengy (EPA) has estimated an average social effect of 37$ per ton of CO2 released.

LCA: Vineyard case study


http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CarbonEmissionMap_2009.jpg



20

Capacity Building • capacity building• Ethiopia• Iran• NE Brazil (Ceará)• Colombia• China• …• …



21

World Water Day 2016: Water as Business OpportunitiesTurning Water Problems Into Business Opportunities

RESEWAM-O may generate new market opportunities

• Agricultural farmers/cooperatives• new green market of more sustainable, saleable

agricultural products, developed in arid/semi-arid areas• Companies supplying water services

• more freshwater available for urban demands• Public administration

• revitalisation of areas out of production• new agricultural food products• reactivation of economy• economising products and better Environment protection

• A NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY• a small/medium enterprise (SME) to coordinate this

process and mediate between the parts



thank you for your attention