Publication Date:
2023-08-09
Description:
The state of Ceará is located in the semi-arid northeast of Brazil, where droughts and uncertain water supply threaten people living in one of the most densely populated dryland regions in the world. To store and supply water during dry periods, tens of thousands of (small) dams have been built over time. Except for 155 strategic reservoirs, there is hardly any systematic monitoring and management of water resources. In addition to comprehensive monitoring, a hydrological forecasting tool is also needed to better manage water resources in Ceará and reduce the impact of future droughts. We developed an innovative system for monitoring and forecasting hydrological dynamics in Ceará. The system is based on the integrated use of climate modeling, process-based hydrological modeling, remote sensing, and existing databases. Specifically, it consists of three complementary products: (1) Satellite-based monitoring of reservoir water storage: Water storage in reservoirs is monitored by evaluating weekly updating Sentinel-1 images together with satellite derived bathymetric information for 〉 40,000 reservoirs. (2) Modeling and forecasting of hydrological dynamics: The process-based hydrological model WASA-SED was adapted for the state area of Ceará. Information from satellite-based monitoring is dynamically assimilated in the simulations. Based on an ensemble of bias-corrected ECHAM4.6 climate simulations, seasonal hydrological forecasts with six months lead time are issued every month. (3) Web-based visualization of monitoring and forecast results: The results of satellite-based monitoring and dynamic hydrological forecasting are centrally managed in a database. Specific information is visualized online as maps and graphics for different user groups and decision makers.
Language:
English
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject
Permalink