| projects-111 |
101125476 |
WaterSmartLand |
Creating water-smart landscapes |
HORIZON |
ERC-2023-COG |
ERC-2023-COG |
2024-03-01 |
2029-02-28 |
On going |
€ 001 909 500.00 |
With the growing human population, the diffuse nutrient emissions from agriculture are expected to increase with the rise of fertilizer use. This situation has created a need for “sustainable intensification” by increasing yields while simultaneously decreasing the environmental impacts. Nature-based solutions (NbS) such as wetlands and riparian buffer strips can efficiently reduce the nutrient runoff from agricultural catchments. However, most land and water management studies mostly do not identify specific priority areas where the nutrient runoff to the water bodies is the highest (hotspots) nor do they provide spatially explicit solutions to improve the environmental conditions. Identification of priority areas will be important for ensuring cost-effective interventions to reduce the impact of intensive agriculture.The aim of the proposed project is to develop an analysis, modelling, and machine learning (ML) framework for finding spatially optimal land management scenarios for implementing NbS such as wetlands and riparian buffer strips to reduce agricultural nutrient runoff from catchments at different scales. Moreover, the project will identify the landscape predictor variables at different spatial scales for nutrient concentrations and their cross-scale interactions using ML.We will implement a novel Discrete Global Grid System data cube to manage all environmental data needed for modelling. We will take advantage of the strength and flexibility of existing ML methods to deal with complex ecosystem responses, and to reveal new interactions among water quality predictor variables. ML together with geospatial analysis will help us to develop different spatially explicit NbS allocation scenarios which we will evaluate with process-based hydrological modelling. In addition, we will address the challenges of processing large datasets by using proven parallelisation and distributed computing toolkits. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101125476 |
Wetlands', 'Rivers and estuaries' |
| projects-112 |
101062255 |
REWATERING |
REalistic WATER budgetING in protected agriculture |
HORIZON |
HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01 |
HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01 |
2023-05-01 |
2025-04-30 |
On going |
No data |
Protected agriculture makes use of technology to create an optimal environment for crops growth. In particular, protected agriculture makes use of covers to shield crops from adverse meteorological events including storms, droughts, temperature extremes and strong winds. However, these controls inherently disrupt the water budget terms currently accounted for in hydrological modelling (runoff, evapotranspiration, soil moisture storage, infiltration, etc…). For the first time, the project REalistic WATER budgetING in protected agriculture (REWATERING) will deliver and validate a methodology for catchment-scale models (i.e., CATHY) to explicitly account for the role of protected agriculture on water quantity and quality. REWATERING will also unprecedently monitor water quality in a stream draining a small catchment mainly used for protected agriculture by means of high-resolution mass spectrometry. I will carry out REWATERING in a globally recognised research group for hydrological modelling. Overall, the host university will be the perfect interdisciplinary hub to accomplish the proposed research because it will provide internal collaborations with excellent academics in hydrology, agriculture and environmental chemistry. Protected agriculture is a growing reality worldwide, currently covering 15% of the agricultural lands, and often occupying entire hydrological catchments. The socially relevant and scientifically innovative interdisciplinary activities proposed in this research are urged to expand catchment-scale hydrological models to predict short- and long-term water quantity and quality resulting from water management characteristic of protected agriculture. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101062255 |
Urban water' |
| projects-113 |
101075354 |
MultiDry |
Unravelling the mechanisms behind Multi-Year Droughts |
HORIZON |
ERC-2022-STG |
ERC-2022-STG |
2023-09-01 |
2028-08-31 |
On going |
€ 001 500 000.00 |
Recent decades have seen a doubling in multi-year droughts around the world. With long-lasting impact on streamflow, groundwater and vegetation, these negatively affect agriculture, drinking water supply, hydropower, shipping and ecosystems as a result. The IPCC states that contrary to “normal” droughts, multi-year droughts cause abrupt changes that take years or decades to be reversed. Due to climate change, multi-year droughts are projected to become more frequent and longer, and potential recovery times between droughts will decrease.I hypothesise that the rise in multi-year droughts and their impacts is caused by stronger teleconnections between the atmosphere, ocean and land, enhanced by climate change, and that feedbacks between the bio-hydrological cycle exuberate the impacts of multi-year droughts. The MultiDry project will make scientific breakthroughs by tracking the propagation of multi-year droughts from climate forcing, through vegetation and soil moisture to surface water and groundwater impacts, whilst also including the important, intricate affects of human water use. In MultiDry, I will combine observations with a novel modelling framework to unravel the drivers behind multi-year droughts worldwide, and the feedbacks of vegetation and human water use on drought duration, propagation, and recovery. This will yield new process understanding, novel scientific datasets, and a basis for reliable projections of future multi-year drought events.This project will drastically improve our understanding of the drivers and mechanisms of multi-year droughts that I believe to be fundamentally different from those of “normal” droughts. The MultiDry results will inform policymakers and water managers around the world on future water challenges. MultiDry will also provide the fundamental understanding needed to quantify future drought vulnerability around the world, help to improve drought preparedness and improve global hydrological modelling of drought. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101075354 |
Rivers and estuaries', 'Groundwater', 'Urban water' |
| projects-114 |
101041110 |
GROW |
GROundWater sustainability and crop production |
HORIZON |
ERC-2021-STG |
ERC-2021-STG |
2022-04-01 |
2027-03-31 |
On going |
€ 001 404 141.00 |
Groundwater is the largest freshwater resource on earth and is crucial for people and the environment. In many regions around the world, groundwater is used unsustainably. Consequently, groundwater levels drop leading to drying rivers and wells, salt intrusion, land subsidence, and groundwater depletion. Irrigated agriculture is the largest user of groundwater worldwide and is responsible for current hotspots of negative impacts, especially for intensively irrigated regions of the world. Already, many rivers in these regions have reached their environmentally critical streamflow, which is necessary to maintain healthy ecosystems. With expected increasing water demands and climate change, the pressure on our groundwater resources will increase further and new regions experiencing negative impacts will develop. To reduce and prevent these impacts, groundwater uses should be reduced. At the same time, crop productivity should be maintained to protect global food security. This poses for me the urgent question: What is the current and future environmentally safe operation space for global groundwater use and what is, and will be, the impact of sustainable groundwater use on crop production worldwide? In this project, I will provide a better understanding of groundwater availability worldwide. My project will define the environmentally safe operating space for current and future groundwater use and will define and quantify the key trade-offs between sustainable groundwater use and crop production. I will develop a novel and innovative modelling framework that connects groundwater, surface water, and crop growth. The model will be linked novel future water demand scenarios, including adaptation strategies towards sustainable groundwater use worldwide. The results will show globally where and when competition for groundwater between the environment and crop production is largest and whether sustainable groundwater use can support current and future crop production. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101041110 |
Groundwater' |
| projects-115 |
101105480 |
EPIC |
EPIC - ExPloring the ecohydrological Impacts of a changing Cryosphere in the Peruvian Andes |
HORIZON |
HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01 |
HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01 |
2024-01-01 |
2025-12-31 |
On going |
No data |
Glacier runoff is vital for the downstream populations and ecosystems of the Peruvian Andes. However previous predictions of future runoff have failed to take account of the complexity of the glacier surface energy balance nor of future vegetation succession. Our project aims to provide a new, interdisciplinary understanding of the possible futures of the hydrology of the Cordillera Blanca, combining changes in climate, glaciers, hydrology and ecosystems, and disentangling their interactions. We will use the advanced ecohydrological model Tethys-Chloris, which takes a physically-based approach to representing glacier and catchment processes. We will determine both the key drivers of Peruvian glacier mass balance and the role of vegetation in altering the catchment water balance. Through ‘big-data’ remote sensing approaches we will identify the past changes in land cover and wetland area and how they have coincided with glacier recession. We will then assess the future of the region’s hydrology, including the changing climate, glacier evolution and scenarios of vegetation succession, to provide a holistic view of the controls on projected catchment runoff. The proposed fellow has a strong background in the glacier surface energy balance, remote sensing and glacier hydrology, but she will diversify her knowledge to encapsulate catchment modelling, ecological understanding and the use of large geospatial data archives. She will be supported by Dr Francesca Pellicciotti who is a world-class scientist specialising in the use of physically-based approaches to modelling high mountain catchments. This project will therefore not only provide unique insights into the future hydrology of the Peruvian Andes but will also provide a springboard for the fellow to become a truly interdisciplinary researcher working at the interface between glaciology, ecology and catchment hydrology. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101105480 |
Snow and ice', 'Wetlands', 'Rivers and estuaries' |
| projects-116 |
101142123 |
DROP |
Drivers and origins of high-altitude precipitation on the Third Pole |
HORIZON |
ERC-2023-ADG |
ERC-2023-ADG |
2024-10-01 |
2029-09-30 |
On going |
€ 002 500 000.00 |
Asia’s mountain ranges are the world’s most important water towers, often referred to as the planet’s Third Pole. Precipitation in these mountains feeds glaciers and snow fields and generates river flow, which sustains millions of people downstream. Precipitation also triggers natural hazards such as floods, landslides and avalanches, which cause enormous human and economic losses. Despite the importance of high-altitude precipitation, we lack a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that control its distribution and how it changes. We need this to elucidate the water cycle at the Third Pole. DROP will close this knowledge gap by showing how the mountains, feedback from land surfaces and large-scale circulation control the magnitude and spatiotemporal distribution of high-altitude snow and rain. New field observations at extreme altitudes and state-of-the-art atmospheric modelling will provide a comprehensive picture for the entire Third Pole at a wide range of scales.At the smallest scale, a high-altitude ice core and meteorological observations will provide key insights into past accumulation trends. At the valley scale, I will combine dense observations of precipitation and high-altitude snow accumulation with atmospheric simulations to gain insight into snow and rainfall patterns. At the scale of the entire Third Pole, I will conduct state-of-the-art atmospheric model experiments, combined with in-situ observations in regional transects and remote sensing to understand how the extreme topography, land surface feedback and moisture recycling control snow and rain patterns. DROP will provide a long-awaited scientific step forward in understanding mountain precipitation in a region where this is of vital importance for water security and disaster risk reduction for millions of people. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101142123 |
Snow and ice', 'Rivers and estuaries' |
| projects-117 |
101081807 |
UPWATER |
Understanding groundwater Pollution to protect and enhance WATERquality |
HORIZON |
HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01 |
HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-01 |
2022-11-01 |
2026-04-30 |
On going |
€ 003 993 637.25 |
Among the available freshwater resources, groundwater (GW) plays a key role in providing water supplies and livelihoods to respond the pronounced water scarcity. GW pollution by chemicals (organic and inorganic) and biological agents (viruses and bacteria) originating from human activities is a widespread worldwide problem. The scientific and technological goals of the UNDERWATER project are (1) to provide scientific knowledge on identification, occurrence and fate of pollutants in the GW with cost-efficient sampling methods based on passive samplers for chemicals and pathogens; (2) to develop sources apportionment methods to identify and quantify the pollution sources, including Compound Specific Isotopic Analysis (CSIA) and (3) to validate and assess the performance of bio-based engineered natural treatment systems designed as mitigation solutions. The monitoring and mitigation solutions will be validated in 3 case studies (DK, GR and ES), representing different EU climate conditions and a combination of rural, industrial and urban pollution sources. The existing hydrogeological models will be updated with innovative water quality modelling tools, allowing the simulation of decision-making scenarios under multiple stressors and climate change projections. The scenarios will also include the expected impacts of scaling-up the mitigation solutions and the adoption of other non-technological preventive measures devoted to minimise the release of chemicals at source (chemicals regulation, taxation, consumption campaigns, public procurement, etc). The exploitation of specific UNDERWATER results will lead to expected mid-term outcomes including among others: updating the EU chemical priority lists, scaling-up the pilot bio-based solutions to demonstration scale, the adoption of some preventive measures in the case studies and the close-to-market development of the passive sampling devices. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101081807 |
Groundwater' |
| projects-118 |
101112879 |
INSPIRE |
Innovative Solutions for Plastic Free European Rivers |
HORIZON |
HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01 |
HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-04 |
2023-05-30 |
2027-05-29 |
On going |
€ 011 474 237.45 |
INSPIRE's main objective is to contribute to the drastic reduction of litter, macro and microplastics in European rivers in a holistic approach, by bringing together 20 technologies and actions for:DETECTION of the pollution present in the river and at the riverbank, COLLECTION of litter and macroplastics at the river bank and litter, macro and microplastics in the river,PREVENTION of litter, macro and microplastics to enter the river by collecting it from its waste stream before it can enter the river and by developing biodegradable alternatives for currently non-degradable polluting products, to avoid they will further be used and arrive in the river as litter. Six use case are defined in INSPIRE to install and test the technologies and actions, to model the processes related to the water purification activities, to obtain 7 well defined solutions at detection, collection or prevention level and combinations thereof. The technical feasibility is backboned by a techno-economical analysis with the development of business cases for the solutions, action plans towards upscaling and replication and together with mapping and modelling all elements are brought together to develop a Master Plan for tackling the challenges of the mission and contributing to the objectives of the mission. The INSPIRE project will be very visible due to its well developed dissemination and communication plan and strategy for community engagement. Apart from the general dissemination and communication tools and activities, specific activities will be setup on festivals, promoting 100% biodegradable products as a result of INSPIRE.INSPIRE's consortium is composed of 26 partners with complementary expertise and a good balance of academia, industry, communication specialists and soft skills organisations is obtained, who all together will work towards the target of having a number of successful solutions that can find their way to the market and put INSPIRE on the radar. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101112879 |
Rivers and estuaries' |
| projects-119 |
101075824 |
LAND-POLICY |
A Global Evaluation of Public Policies to Mitigate and Reverse Land Degradation |
HORIZON |
ERC-2022-STG |
ERC-2022-STG |
2023-06-01 |
2028-05-31 |
On going |
€ 001 452 644.00 |
Land degradation is one of the major sustainability challenges of our time. It is a driver of climate change, biodiversity loss, and water pollution, and reduces global agricultural productivity. This requires effective and economically efficient policies.Here, I outline a project that combines the global measurement and modelling of land degradation trends with econometric research designs to estimate policy effectiveness, their benefit cost ratios, and how design features and contextual factors explain policy performance. This research builds on the unique expertise I have developed over the last 5 years. The project consists of four work packages. In the first WP, global datasets will be build, including a new database of public policies relevant to land conditions, maps of different land degradation indicators, such as soil productivity trends, vegetation and agricultural yield changes, soil erosion and pollution, and land cover changes, such as cropland expansion and forest loss. In the second WP, econometric research designs (such as difference-in-differences, difference-in discontinuities, and synthetic control) will be used to estimate the causal effect(s) of public policies on land conditions. The comprehensiveness and global scope of the analysis means that for the first time, we will have the “full picture”, largely free of selection and publication biases, and methodologically unified.In the third WP, all the policies’ costs and benefits will be compared to each other and we will quantify how much benefit each policy has been generating per its costs.In the fourth WP, we will use both conventional econometric techniques and novel machine learning approaches to systematically explain when and why some public policies perform better than others.This research will generate new insights on how to improve public policies to mitigate and reverse land degradation. I expect it will generate high interest among academics, policy makers, and the public. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101075824 |
Rivers and estuaries' |
| projects-120 |
101156867 |
Path4Med |
Demonstrating innovative pathways addressing water and soil pollution in the Mediterranean Agro-Hydro-System |
HORIZON |
HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-SOIL-01 |
HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-SOIL-01-01 |
2024-07-01 |
2028-06-30 |
On going |
€ 008 483 712.50 |
Path4Med is a multi-participatory and multidisciplinary project that will pave clear pathways towards zero water and soil pollution in the agro-hydro-system of the Mediterranean sea basin and other European seas through an innovative triple bottom line approach achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability to ensure human well-being and ecosystems functioning. Path4Med will advance and consolidate agricultural management technologies and solutions within an inclusive and open participatory environment, it will evolve and mainstream novel monitoring technologies and integrated solutions, it will assess the technical feasibility and socioeconomic viability of cascades of solutions through an integrated modelling framework, it will quantify the effectiveness and the net impact of these solutions, and ultimately it will empower Citizens to take action against pollution of soils, waters and the ocean, through clear measurable evidences, increased awareness, and water literacy. Path4Med pathways will be applied and demonstrated in large scale, integrated, Demonstration Sites established in representative Mediterranean areas, in areas representing other European seas and in associated regions. A digital platform and other relevant digital tools will be established to facilitate Path4Med actions, information and knowhow communication, and to support data exchange and data feeding to international Observatories and Knowledge Systems. |
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101156867 |
Coastal waters', 'Urban water' |
