A Global Monitoring of Groundwater Resources

International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre

Sophie Vermooten, Hydrogeologist

Koblenz, September 2007

What is IGRAC?

A non-profit centre that facilitates and promotes global sharing of information and knowledge required for sustainable groundwater resources development and management.

An initiative of UNESCO and WMO from 1999,

Launched at WWF3 in Kyoto in Spring 2003,

Receives financial support from the Dutch government,

Hosted by TNO, Subsurface and Groundwater unit at Utrecht (NL)

From January 2008, this unit will be part of new Dutch institute called DELTARES together with WL delft hydraulics, Geodelft and parts of RIZA and RIKZ

Groundwater represents globally:

• 96% of the fresh ’fluid’ water• 23% of the irrigation water• 53% of public water demand• 97% of rural drinking water

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Groundwater Monitoring: Inventories and Database

Inventory of existing guidelines and protocols for groundwater assessment and monitoring

World-wide inventory of groundwater monitoring

Groundwater Monitoring: Inventories and Database

GGMS

Global Groundwater Monitoring System

Global Groundwater Monitoring System (GGMS)

No systematic monitoring and assessment of groundwater change on global scale.

IGRAC intends to establish a sustainable GGMS for a periodic assessment of the global change of groundwater resources

GGMS postulates: A system rather then a network – use

of existing networks Aggregated groundwater information

carried out by regional specialists, involving point measurements and proxy values

Web-based collection, analysis and dissemination of information

GGMS: use of existing networks

Why not a new network? Extremely difficult to set up

and sustain (incentives and mandate),

Favorable position of IGRAC as UNESCO/WMO centre.

Inventory on: Networks/programmes which gather groundwater data

(aggregated or not) Networks/programmes that use data collection procedures

potentially applicable for the GGMS The people networks that might be useful to get data

GGMS: the aggregation procedure

Why aggregated information? Limited representativeness of point measurements

(aggregation using the expert knowledge and proxy values) Obstacles related to international exchange of data

(aggregated value is derived information).

Yet to be defined (by an expert group next month)

Monitoring density (grid uniform for all the countries and all the variables?)

Monitoring frequency (monthly, yearly) Monitoring variables (levels, quality,

groundwater use…) Aggregated and also (by regional expert)

derived values?

GGMS: the web-based system

Why web-based system? Easy reporting and analysis tool (only a browser required), A control over information provided, Involvement and recognition.

A prototype developed (ArcGIS9.2 & Oracle)

An operational version : Implemented country estimation/

aggregation procedure A simple upload of proxy data Transboundary harmonisation and

global aggregation Presentation functionality (spatial &

time-series outputs) Download facility

GGMS: synergy with Remote Sensing

Interpretation of GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) observations as a complementary approach to the terrestrial measurements

Use of other Remote Sensing techniques for the groundwater monitoring on regional scale

GGMS: synergy with Global Models

Use of regional/global hydrological models for simulation and prediction purposes

IGWCO/GARS/UNESCO groundwater group:

The second meeting/workshop at IGRAC, 18-19 October 2007

GGMS: the further steps

GRAPHIC (Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change)

GEO Water Task WA-06-05 (global in-situ water observations) EC FP7 Environment

Our questions

Are there possibilities/opportunities to join existing networks (people networks)

What is your experience when gathering data on a country level?

Thank you for your attention

www.igrac.nl