Towards a Water Scarcity & Drought Indicator System (WSDiS) Maggie Kossida – ETC/Water

Presentation Outline A. Water Scarcity & Drought Indicators System (WSDiS) Needs and Objectives Methodological approach Process and current state Examples for Pilot case studies Links to the SEEAW (water accounts) B. WQ Reporting (WISE-SoE#3) Basic concepts Summary of requested data

Indicators for what? Drought and Water Scarcity Water Scarcity is a phenomenon that is associated with drought: fragile balance between water resources availability and demand. Water Scarcity is at the same time a social and environmental phenomenon and hence more manageable with policy instruments; an area to benefit from a Science-Policy Interface (SPI). There is a gap of knowledge and tools at the EU level on Water Scarcity and a lack of reliable information (EU COM, 2007), thus the formulation of an indicators’ framework would support a common basis for policy

Objectives of a WSDiS: Reliable information (@ appropriate temporal and spatial resolution) required for decision-making A basis for assessment of WS conditions taking into account both demand, supply and availability issues (i.e. both socioeconomic and environmental dimensions) Supported by data from MS and Stakeholders, as well as the water accounts output Scientifically sound and representative indicators Operationally useful indices based on multiple indicators

Methodological approach in developing a WSDiS Need to ground the selection of specific indicators in the problem at hand, rather than proceed in selecting indicators abstractly. Avoid long lists of indicators, which may have been “correct” but not necessarily relevant. This complexity requires a step-by-step approach in developing indicators: allow questions of relevance and completeness to be answered throughout. Adopt a top-down approach but also test in pilot areas (bottom-up)

Final set of indicators (narrowed down) Problem identification and definition Drought and Water Scarcity (environmental and socio-economic dimension) Steps followed in developing the WSDiS Selecting an appropriate thinking framework for the development and categorisation of indicators (DPSIR) Implies a certain causality, Allows for feedback loops Adopting a sector-based approach (better links to the economy and water accounts) A series of main water uses is identified and is used as a check list to populate the DPSIR w/indicators Domestic, Agriculture, Industry, Energy, Tourism first comprehensive list of indicators Final set of indicators (narrowed down) Creation of fact sheets Screening criteria development (e.g. clarity, data availability, integration, diagnostic ability etc. Testing with Pilot RBs

WSDiS: Process and current state (√) Domestic Water Supply Industry Energy Agriculture Tourism Legislative Technical Economic RESPONSES Educational STATE Land cover Status of water bodies Water quantity Infrastructure Anomalies in physical parameters PRESSURES Water demand (water use, water abstraction) Pressure on water supply infrastructure Land cover change Pollution Climatic changes DRIVERS Environmental Water resources IMPACTS Socio-economic Drivers result in pressures Responses can change a driver Responses can be a driver for change Impacts call for responses Responses can mitigate impacts Pressures have impacts Which (adversely) change the state Which we understand by monitoring the state Changes of state have impacts Legislative Technical Economic RESPONSES Educational Water quantity STATE Infrastructure Land cover Status of water bodies Population Education Anomalies in physical parameters PRESSURES Water demand (water use, water abstraction) Water supply infrastructure Land cover change Pollution Population Growth Climatic changes DRIVERS Tourism Infrastructure Socio-economic Environmental Water resources IMPACTS Drivers result in pressures Responses can change a driver Responses can be a driver for change Impacts call for responses Responses can mitigate impacts Pressures have impacts Which (adversely) change the state Which we understand by monitoring the state Changes of state have impacts √ √ √ √ √ First comprehensive set of indicators for each use √ √ √ √ √ √ Data availability Survey Screening of indicators for each use (narrowed down) Based on specific criteria (e.g. suitability, data availability, reproducibility, capacity if integration, clarity, diagnostic ability etc. PILOT RBDs testing Final set of indicators Assessments

Pilot testing the WSDiS in Cyprus Comparing the two indicators we can see that the EI depicts more unsustainable conditions as the annual availability is over exceeded by abstraction, and this trend is increasing over the years making the system more vulnerable GW abstractions have been increasing from 2000-2004 by 26% while the aquifer recharge has been declining SW abstractions have been increasing 2002-03 while inflow has been declining

Desalinated water increases rapidly by 121%, and in 2008 and 2009 it constitutes the major sources of domestic water. High dependency  link to water pricing The domestic water use increases at a much higher rate of 65% (non-linear to demographic increase), which clearly show that the average per capita consumption is increasing. This shows to be proportional to the income/capita increase

The driving forces for the increase in water consumption associated with tourism is the build up of tourism facilities which use a lot of water for their maintenance (not the actual consumption that the tourists do). Lessons learned on indicators e.g..: Nights spent Vs. tourist arrivals Living conditions INTEGRATION

WISE-SoE Stable Data Flow WQ Reporting (SoE#3) – WSDiS - Water accounts WISE-SoE Stable Data Flow WSDiS Water Accounts Water accounts provide basic information for the derivation of many water-related indicators. The water accounts framework can ensure consistency of the indicators and the ability to study further the interlinkages and causes of change, as well as scenario modeling.

The “WQ Reporting Tool” for the SoE#3 reporting Basic concepts: Regional & temporal disaggregation minimum spatial reporting unit = SUBUNIT minimum temporal reporting scale = MONTH Streamlining with JQ IWA Reporting Flexibility User friendly – no installation required Coherent and comprehensive data flow Help manual & Online Help Import routines Pre-filling

SoE#3 requested datasets (in summary)

The WQ Reporting Tool - views

Thank you !