AGUAMOD
The INTERREG SUDOE AGUAMOD research project, led by the CNRS in France, is being conducted by nine research centres with the participation of over thirty public and private institutions in Andorra, Spain, France and Portugal. The objective of AGUAMOD is to strengthen cooperation between managers and land users in the area of water resource management in Southwest Europe (SUDOE) by jointly developing and sharing the implementation of innovative methodologies.
The European Union has stressed the need to reassess the planning and management of water resources, “making the possible spread of uses in compliance with the environmental requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000) subject to water and river basin management plans” and has asked for priority to be given to “environmental requirements when facing socioeconomic requirements”. In this context, AGUAMOD is proposing to reconcile the water needs of societies (drinking water, agriculture, industry, cities, leisure etc.) with the ecological needs of rivers. In particular, AGUAMOD is focusing its analyses and methods on periods of low flow and drought that place considerable pressure on this resource and result in tensions around its use.
The objective of AGUAMOD is to jointly build a platform for integrated water resource management during low water periods with all stakeholders in water management (managers, economic stakeholders, users and civil society) in south-west Europe (SUDOE).
The AGUAMOD platform will combine an evaluation of the watershed’s water needs (drinking water, agriculture, industry, environmental flows etc.) with numerical models that simulate the stocks and flows of water in all parts of the watershed. An economic and social assessment of water resources and an analysis of the quality of water governance will be conducted across the SUDOE territory. Different climate change scenarios coupled with simulations will be designed to anticipate future water needs from a social and environmental perspective.
The aim of the AGUAMOD platform is to promote a comprehensive, shared vision of the resource during low water levels throughout the SUDOE territory. It will provide managers and users with decision-making tools by means of complex scenarios presenting robust and localised information on climate dynamics, hydrology, land and water uses and modes of governance by 2050.
The transnational approach is intended to compare issues and territorial contexts as well as the tools developed by the partners involved in order to offer a common innovative tool that is suitable for the entire SUDOE territory. Communication aids – a SERIOUS GAME and an animated film – will give users a better understanding of the heritage value of water resources based on management choices and modes of governance.
AGUAMOD is funded by the Interreg Southwest European Territorial Cooperation Programme (SUDOE) which supports regional development by co-financing transnational projects through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Tasks
- GT1: Collection and analysis of environmental and socio-economic data
- GT2: Determination of the methods of water resources management in the SUDOE territory. Economic evaluation of resources and assessment of water governance.
- GT3: Method of integrating pressure / state relationships of water resources in the SUDOE watersheds.
- GT4: Development of the integrative web platform for water pressure and use at the SUDOE territory – state of water availability – socio-economic assessment
- GTT1: Project Management
- GTT2: Communication of the project
- GTT3: Management and evaluation of the project
