Task Force Water Governance for border regions
Project fiche for project ideas and proposals 2nd meeting 8.11.2013
Subject: Crisis Management & Flood Control
Date:
Yes, I, Tobias Renner (RHDHV) participate at the second meeting of the Task Force on 8th
November 2013
Applying agency (authority, organization, company, River basin Commission, etc.)
Institute: Waterschap Noorderzijlvest and RHDHV on behalf of the “Samenwerkingsverband Nationale Regenradar”
Contact person: Tobias Renner (RHDHV) and Jan Gooijer (Ws Noorderzijlvest),
Country: The Netherlands
Contact: Jan Gooijer( j.gooijer@noorderzijlvest.nl;+31 50 304 83 10, Tobias Renner (tobias.renner@rhdhv.com, +31 6 1509
3067)
Titel & Project proposal
Category/Sector (technical, institutional, legal, policy, financial, communication, others (please specify):
Technical
Brief description of the project:
Project idea: International Rainfall Radar
Background
In 2012, the 'National Rainfall Radar' was developed in the Netherlands (www.nationaleregenradar.nl). The ‘National
Rainfall Radar’ combines Dutch and German rainfall data from radar- and ground stations to provide real-time rainfall
information to Dutch regional and national water authorities. The reason for this project is that the coverage of Dutch
weather radar stations alone is insufficient for water management in the border regions. The improved data is particularly
useful in the case of extreme rainfall events - flood protection, emergency drills. Extreme rainfall events are expected to
increase in frequency in the coming decades due to climate change.
The Dutch Rainfall Radar has been specifically developed for and on behalf of nine Dutch regional water authorities,
Rijkswaterstaat on the national level and seventy municipalities on the local level. The rainfall radar has been developed
by a group of leading experts from RHDHV, Nelen & Schuurmans, KNMI, Deltares and three Dutch universities Wageningen University, Utrecht University, Technical University of Delft.
The latest scientific knowledge has been used in an open source environment to generate different real-time rainfall data
streams that are delivered with a resolution of 1 x 1 km to the Dutch water authorities. Rainfall forecasts and
measurements of the Dutch Meteorological Institute KNMI are also delivered. All data can be visualized and used in
standard information platforms (FEWS - Flood Early Warning System, Lizard, Hydronet). (In 2013 and 2014 Belgian rainfall
data will be added.)
The Dutch Rainfall Radar was also introduced in a detailed presentation during the 1st meeting of the TaskForce in
Noordwijk in June 2013.
Objectives of the proposed project idea
Usage of the rainfall radar is now limited to the Netherlands only, while it would be very interesting and valuable to apply
it in the neighbouring countries or other European border regions. Furthermore, the rainfall radar can be improved
technically, in particular in the accurate short-term forecasting of extreme rainfall events. This is very useful information
for local, regional and national water authorities and other organizations (such as open-air events/festivals etc). The
suggested project might therefore have three objectives:
1. Wider application: Turning the Dutch Rainfall radar into an International Rainfall Radar, by applying the ‘Rainfall Radar’
on the German and/or Belgian side of the border. The rainfall radar is now used only by Dutch water authorities.
Implementation and usage on the other side of the border will improve operational, transboundary water management
between the neighbouring countries.
2. Cutting edge’ development Improving and developing the ‘International Rainfall Radar’ by forecasting extreme rainfall
events 3 to 4 hours in advance with a very high temporal and spatial resolution. This will improve the capabilities of
regional water authorities and other organizations to respond to extreme rainfall events. Scientific state-of-the art
knowledge will be used in an open source environment.
3. Information dissemination on a European scale The International Rainfall Radar will be developed in an open source
environment, and can easily be transferred and implemented in other European (border) regions. Information
dissemination is a core objective of the suggested project. There are linking pins possible with other Interreg-projects
such as RainGain as the International Rainfall Radar can provide the operational open source basis for these innovations.
Objective
Please formulate the project’s goals in a few sentences:
Improving transboundary water management in situations of extreme rainfall events. See above.
Key question your project aims to answer:
Providing real-time rainfall information and forecasting future extreme rainfall events with high accuracy in transboundary
river basins.
Beneficiaries
Who will benefit from the project’s results:
Regional and national water authorities as regards improvement and implementation of the “International Rainfall
Radar”. Dutch and German/Belgian water authorities would be the primary beneficiaries. Information dissemination on a
European level on state-of-the-art knowledge in rainfall measurement and forecasting.
Location
Where is the project located:
Netherlands-Germany-Belgium, but could be extended to other border regions.
Actors
Lead partner:
To be determined. Primarily, one of the water authorities already participating in the Dutch Rainfall Radar.
Partners requested:
Regional Dutch, German and Belgian water authorities. However, this is an outreach effort to authorities and
organizations in other European transboundary river basins - they are invited to share their ideas!
Project duration
What will be the duration of the project:
2 years
Budget estimation
What is the estimated budget needed:
Depends on further scoping.
Type of program for funding (INTERREG V, FP7, LIFE +, etc.)
Indicate which type of funding you have in mind:
Interreg V - transboundary implementation. Horizon2020 – technical / ICT development.
Do you need help with finding the right funding?
This project should be part of a larger project/programme.
Task Force Water Governance (TFWG),
with special focus on border regions
Task Force Water Governance
Project Development Team
Phone: +31 (0)43 3897487;
Postal address: P.O. Box 5700 | 6202 MA Maastricht | The Netherlands
General email: taskforcewg@prvlimburg.nl
Contacts:
Alfred Evers: ajgm.evers@prvlimburg.nlm. +31 6 5495 6148
Harry Tolkamp: hh.tolkamp@prvlimburg.nlm. +31 6 5237 5690
Fred van den Brink: fwb.van.den.brink@prvlimburg.nl t: +31 43 3897499