Project:
“Bases for the design of a National Monitoring System of water resources from the perspective of Virtual Basins”

Call name:
Sectoral Fund for Research from Open Data 2018

Project Code:
ANII_FSDA_1_2018_1_154610

Technical-scientific manager:
Dr. Nestor Mazzeo Beyhaut

Leading organization:
University of the Republic | Eastern Regional University Centre | Group of Ecology and Rehabilitation of Aquatic Systems, Department of Ecology and Environmental Management

Other partners:
– Laboratory of Sustainable Development and Environmental Management of the Territory Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences- Faculty of Sciences, University of the Republic
– SARAS Institute
– Institute of Environmental Hydraulics IH Cantabria
– University of Cantabria (Spain)
– PDU Modeling and Analysis of Natural Resources- Eastern Regional University Center, University of the Republic
– Ministry of the Environment

Researchers:
Dr. Ismael Díaz Isasa (Fcien)
Mag. Ana Lía Ciganda Garrido (CURE)
Lic. Camila Fernández Nion (Fcien)
Dr. Carolina Crisci Karlen (CURE)
Francisco Peñas Silva, PhD (IH Cantabria)
Jose Barquín Ortíz, PhD (IH Cantabria)
Alexia Gonzalez Ferreras, PhD (IH Cantabria)

Introduction

Virtual basins or artificial landscapes are artificial systems that integrate a very diverse set of information on the territory thanks to advances in the field of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, multivariate statistics, machine learning, geostatistics, and Bayesian approaches, with the purpose of knowing patterns of similarity or dissimilarity of multiple attributes or properties in space (at different scales) and in time, as well as their links or relationships (12,13).

In addition to the most basic or fundamental aspects, this framework is very useful in the design of impact evaluations (Before and After-BA, Control, and Impact-CI, Before, After and Control Impact-BACI) or of monitoring systems, as well as for land use planning since they require the management and analysis of a set of channel attributes (eg hydrological regime, type of substrate, water quality) and characteristics of the drainage basin (topography, geology, type, and land use, vegetation cover, among others), and finally the interactions between them.

Water management challenges

Freshwater management includes the analysis of multiple physical, chemical, biological, and ecosystem properties, attributes linked to the quantity and quality of water. These properties are conditioned by several factors or controls associated with weather conditions; geological and topographic characteristics; the type and use of the land; the distribution, size of populated centers, and associated infrastructure. All these factors interact at the same time in the territory; therefore, the quantity and quality of the water are the results of all these factors.

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Territory management involves a multiplicity of institutions located at different levels of government with different competencies and roles. This multiplicity of actors in a drainage basin generates the first challenge in water management that involves overcoming fragmentation in the analysis and decision-making processes, in the control and implementation of measures and strategies. Integrated management of aquatic resources seeks to overcome this great challenge.

The correct administration and care of freshwater also require monitoring and evaluation systems that allow knowing the state of the resource and the responses of the system to natural and anthropic factors or pressures. This second great challenge involves designing and implementing robust information generation systems that assist decision-making processes. In this way, it is possible to evaluate the strategies or public policies implemented, detect relevant changes or problems of interest, define conservation or restoration actions, explore new productive practices or land uses, among others. This second challenge is part of adaptive water management and is the focus of this project.

Analysis and decision making based on scientific evidence

Water management is based on the interaction between a multiplicity of actors (public and private) with different motivations and worldviews, as well as agency capacity. The interactions are based on exchanges of information, stories, and assumptions, as well as power dynamics. A key role in these exchanges corresponds to the available scientific evidence.

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A robust analysis of the quality and quantity of the water requires, in the first place, an important set of observation stations and collection of samples. It is not possible to collect information on each stream and gully of the country’s extensive hydrographic network, but it is feasible to design robust systems that allow information to be extrapolated from those monitored sites or systems to those lacking information. The same challenge occurs in the monitoring of a pandemic or the analysis of public opinion, that is, we carefully select sampling strategies representative of the object of analysis.

The project generates technical bases to build a robust aquatic resource monitoring system at the national level. This challenge not only involves an adequate distribution in the space of observation points and sample collection but also, appropriate temporal frequencies of observation. Finally, this project allows the design of strategies that allow the incorporation of attributes and indicators that have not been surveyed for the moment and that constitute fundamental aspects of modern water quality assessment systems.

Adaptive management, learn-by-doing

The analysis and decision-making processes involved in defining an action, strategy, or policy are based on certainties and uncertainties. Uncertainty is an intrinsic property of any complex system. The recent pandemic illustrates multiple sequences of strategy definition, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, permanence or adjustment of the original strategy, or complementation with new actions. This case constitutes a concrete example of a paradigm called adaptive management or fault detection and continuous improvement.

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Adaptive management allows us to appropriately incorporate uncertainty and promotes learning cycles and continuous improvement, in simple terms, learning by doing (Aristotle sense). Adaptive management is supported by solid monitoring and evaluation systems that allow understanding the responses of aquatic systems to climate variability, the pressures of use on the channel and associated floodplains, or changes in land use or related practices in the drainage basins.

Integrated management constitutes the first step in the transformation of water governance, a process that Uruguay is currently undergoing. In the short term, it must incorporate all the capacities and strengths of adaptive management. Virtual basins contribute to this relevant challenge.

Articles, book chapters, documents and reports