1. Taking forward the work on COPERNICUS through IMPEL
WFD and Agriculture Working Group Meeting
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
5th March 2015, Brussels
Taking forward the work
on COPERNICUS through IMPEL
WODA: Water Over-abstraction and illegal abstraction Detection and Assessment
Giuseppe Sgorbati, Enrico Zini
ARPA Lombardia, Italy

2. Objectives
To improve the capability of IMPEL members to monitor both illegal and legal over-abstraction of water bringing together compliancy assurance and monitoring of the state of the environment through cost-effective EO methods, taking as reference the EC Guidance Document.
To make IMPEL members aware of the opportunities provided by COPERNICUS technologies, data and services.

3. Illegal water overabstraction: problem of compliancy assurance
The approach
Illegal water overabstraction: problem of compliancy assurance
water abstraction
water right
actual abstraction
Case A
Abstraction beyond water right
water abstraction
actual abstraction
water right
Case B
Abstraction without water right

4. Abstraction beyond sustainability limit Abstraction beyond requirement
The approach
Legal water overabstraction: problem of monitoring the state of the environment
Case C
Abstraction beyond sustainability limit
water abstraction
sustainability limit
actual abstraction
water right
Case D
Abstraction beyond requirement
(inefficiency)
water abstraction
water right
actual abstraction
sustainability limit
actual requirement

5. The approach
We should consider complex situations where might coexist:
both legal and illegal over-abstraction, requiring a combination of compliancy assurance and monitoring of the state of the environment,
mixed sources of water: surface and groundwater,
multiple uses of water (sometimes conflicting as in case of drought events).

6. The approach
We should take into account all the applications to which EO can give an effective contribution, as described in the Guidance Document at Step 4: "Exploring complementary applications":
regularization of water rights,
revision of sustainable management plans,
ex-post analysis,
advice for irrigation,
implementation of volume-based fees,
and:
early warning on unsustainable water uses,
management of drought events.

7. The approach
We should take into account all mature and ready-to-use EO solutions:
irrigation maps,
water consumption assessment,
monitoring of groundwater overabstraction through satellite SAR interferometry.
This combination of EO solutions provides information both on pressures and state of the environment.

8. The approach Creation of a common basic level of EO knowledge
Questionnaire N
Questionnaire 1
Elaboration of Questionnaire
EC Guidance Document
Questionnaire N
Questionnaire 2
Feasibility Study 1
Analysis of Questionnaires, Realization of 2-3 Feasibility Studies
Analysis of Feasibility Studies elaboration of Implementation Document
Implementation Document

9. Partners

10. Partners Country Organization Belgium
Environment, Nature and Energy Department
Flemish Government
Cyprus
Department of Environment
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment
Italy
Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of
Lombardy Region
Emilia-Romagna Region
Malta
Sustainable Energy and Water Conservation Unit
Ministry for Energy and Health
Netherlands
Province of Overijssel
Romania
National Environmental Guard - Bihor County Commissariat
Slovenia
Inspectorate of the RS for Environment and Spatial Planning
Ministery of Agriculture, Forestry and Food
Spain
Consejero técnico. Confederación Hidrográfica del Miño-Sil. Ourese.
United Kingdom
Environmental Agency
England

11. EO solutions SAR interferometry
Under suitable geological conditions (i.e.: sedimentary basins):
groundwater abstraction causes soil displacement (+/-),
groundwater overabstraction causes soil subsidence.
Thus soil displacement and subsidence can be used as a good proxy of groundwater abstraction and overabstraction.
Satellite SAR differential interferometry provides a very accurate (millimetre) tool to monitor groundwater abstraction and over-abstraction.

12. Mean annual rate of ground displacement (mm/year).
EO solutions
SAR interferometry of groundwater overabstraction: Emilia Romagna
Adriatic Sea
Apennines
Source: ARPA Emilia Romagna
Mean annual rate of ground displacement (mm/year).

13. EO solutions
SAR interferometry of groundwater overabstraction: Mexico City
Source: ESA/DLR, Sentinel-1 INSARAP Workshop December 2014
ESA-ESRIN, Frascati

14. EO solutions
SAR interferometry of groundwater overabstraction: Lombardy
Lombardy
Case study
4 Km

15. Follow-up Basic Milestones:
24-25 March 2015: Kick-Off Meeting in Milan.
May 2015: Start of 2 or 3 Feasibility Studies.
March 2016: Presentation of Final Implementation Document.
Further issues: Follow-up tips about:
making synergies, e.g. IMPEL and COPERNICUS User Forum, NEREUS network of the European regions which uses EO data and services,
participating to EU R&D proposals.

16. Thank you!