The Global Water System Project
Marcel Endejan
GWSP – International Project Office
Bonn, Germany
Poznan, 24 Nov 2004

Global Water System Project
 Institutional Background
 Framing Questions & Themes
 Implementation
 Linkages to BALTEX

ESSP

Human-induced changes to the global water system are now globally significant and are being modified without adequate understanding of how the system works

The Global Water System
Working definition
The global suite of water-related human , physical , biological , and biogeochemical components and their interactions .
BIOLOGICAL &
BIOGEOCHEMICAL
COMPONENTS e.g. species richness, habitat quality, water quality
PHYSICAL
COMPONENTS e.g. moisture transport, precipitation, river discharge, water storage
WATER
CYCLING
HUMAN COMPONENTS e.g. water related institutions, water engineering works, water use sectors

BALTEX

 Focus on global environmental change
 Science driven but policy-relevant
 Global perspective, taking local- and watershed processes into account
 Broad temporal perspective
(Past-present-future time domains)
 Interdisciplinary & integrative
 Focus on fresh water

 Gain a new understanding about the global water system
 Refine society‘s view of water
 Create a vision of future possible states of the global water system

The Framing Committee
Joseph Alcamo (Chair), Hartmut Grassl, Pavel
Kabat, Felino Lansigan, Richard Lawford,
Dennis Lettenmaier, Christian Leveque, Michel
Meybeck, Robert Naiman, Claudia Pahl-Wostl,
Charles Vörösmarty
Scoping Team
Carlo Jaeger, Dennis Lettenmaier, Christian
Leveque, Harry Lins, Michel Meybeck,
Madiodio Niasse, and Charles Vörösmarty www.gwsp.org

How are human actions changing the global water system and what are the environmental and socio-economic feedbacks arising from the anthropogenic changes in the global water system?

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What are the magnitudes and key mechanisms of anthropogenic and environmental changes in the GWS?
What are the main linkages and feedbacks within the Earth system, arising from changes in the GWS?
How resilient and adaptable is the
GWS to change, and what are sustainable management strategies?

Mechanisms by which humans are affecting the GWS reservoirs, withdrawal, transfers resulting in stop-flow events, changes in nutrient and sediment fluxes etc.
Glen Canyon Dam, USGS
1984

Theme 1: Magnitudes and
Mechanisms of Change
Related activities
 1.1: Water Governance & the GWS
 1.2
: Land Cover Changes …
 1.3
: Climate Change …
 1.4
: Water Diversions …
 1.5
: Nutrient and Sediment Transport …




What are the magnitudes and key mechanisms of anthropogenic and environmental changes in the GWS?
What are the main linkages and feedbacks within the Earth system, arising from changes in the GWS?
How resilient and adaptable is the
GWS to change, and what are sustainable management strategies?

Theme 2
Linkages and Feedbacks
Related activities
 2.1
: Linkages at Different Spatial Scales in the Global Water System
 2.2
: Legacy of Human and Natural
Interactions in the Global Water System




What are the magnitudes and key mechanisms of anthropogenic and environmental changes in the GWS?
What are the main linkages and feedbacks within the Earth system, arising from changes in the GWS?
How resilient and adaptable is the
GWS to change, and what are sustainable management strategies?

Theme 3
Resilience and Adaptation
Related activities
 3.1
: Water Requirements for Nature and
Humans
 3.2
: The Nature of Adaptive Capacity of the
GWS
 3.3
: Approaches to Enhance Adaptive
Capacity
 3.4
: The Provision of Ecosystem Goods &
Services by the GWS

Cross-cutting Research Activities

Synthesis, Dialogue,
Capacity Building, Education
 Goal: reach a large audience
 Synthesise information
 Dialogue with stakeholders / policy makers
 Engage young scientist in international teams
 Education programme
 Co-operation with other research efforts

Members of Executive Committee
 Prof. Dr. Joseph Alcamo (Chair)
 Prof. Dr. Dennis Lettenmaier
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
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Prof. Dr. Robert Naiman
Prof. Dr. Claudia Pahl-Wostl
Prof. Dr. Charles V örösmarty (Chair)
Full Scientific Steering Committee
 15 scientists representing different regions/research fields
 First full SSC meeting in February 2005

 Programme definition and initiation (2 years)

Finalise research plan

Launch short, medium, long term initiatives
 Programme implementation/product delivery (3)

First short and medium term results
 Data synthesis and application of results (5)

Synthesis, application and distribution of results

 Coupled modelling of climate, land and hydrological processes
 Inventories of surface water storage
 Data and prediction of climate variability
 Identifying worldwide impacts of water management
 Regional climate modelling
 Global climate change and water availability
 Urbanisation and water resources

Global Water System Project
 Consolidate various efforts into a unified, dynamic research programme
 Broaden knowledge about the GWS changes; linkages & feedbacks; resilience and adaptive capacity
 Establish monitoring indicators
 New numerical models, GWSP database
 Synergy effects in GWSP-BALTEX co-operation

Global Water System Project
International Project Office
Walter-Flex-Str. 3
53113 Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49.228.73.6188
Dr. Eric Craswell eric.craswell@uni-bonn.de
Dr. Marcel Endejan marcel.endejan@uni-bonn.de
Ms. Lara Wever lara.wever@uni-bonn.de