Background
Drought is considered a major natural hazard affecting large areas and millions of people every year. It is a regularly recurring phenomenon with strong environmental and socio-economic impacts. The decade 1996-2005 was globally the warmest since systematic monitoring started in 1850. According to the latest information, global warming will continue and as a result the hydrological cycle is expected to intensify. The hydrological prospects for summer periods, however connected to uncertainties, indicate more frequent low flows and stream flow droughts in the Rhine basin. The recent occurrence of severe and prolonged drought conditions in various regions of Europe and throughout the world has again emphasized the need for in-depth research on the causes as well as the environmental and socio-economic impact of drought. Appropriate tools for drought alert, monitoring and assessment are urgently needed. Such information is essential to manage and implement adequate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Objectives
- To exchange knowledge about historic low flow and drought periods.
- To discuss local and regional analysis methods of low flow and drought indices and related processes.
- To exchange knowledge about seasonal weather prediction and low flow forecasts.
- To exchange knowledge about the influence of climate variability and climate change on future low flow and drought periods.
- To discuss decision-making procedures, the role of stakeholders and the public.
- To detect research deficits.
The International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR) has invited scientists, decision makers and stakeholders in the field of low flow and drought management to discuss these issues during a two-day workshop.
Structure and workshop themes
The workshop was divided in three plenary working sessions:
Theme 1: Observed low flow and drought periods
Keywords:
At site and regional indices
Case studies
Data quality
Theme 2: Impact of climate change on low flow and drought
Keywords:
Recent developments in climate scenarios
Effects on the hydrological cycle
Effects on water user functions
Theme 3: Management and adaptation strategies
Keywords:
Seasonal predictions and real-time forecasts (incl. water temperature)
Prediction at ungauged sites
Risk and crisis management
The role of stakeholders and the public in decision-making procedures
Organisers
The invitation to the event was issued by the International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR) in cooperation with UNESCO IHP Paris and the German IHP/HWRP Secretariat.
Language
Working language of the workshop was English.
announcement_chr_workshop_drought.pdf
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 Announcement CHR Workshop Drought. | (72.61 KB) |
bookofabstracts2007.pdf
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| Book of abstracts | (2.49 MB) |
ii-1_vandenhurk.pdf
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| Van den Hurk - Recent developments in climate scenarios in The Netherlands | (2.19 MB) |
iii-1_jacob.pdf
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| Jacob - Developments in seasonal to decadal predictions | (1.35 MB) |
i-3_nobilis.pdf
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| Nobilis - The low flow period of 2003 in Austria | (3.9 MB) |
iii-2_bloeschl.pdf
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| Blöschl - Low flow estimation at ungauged sites | (6.99 MB) |
i-2_belz.pdf
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| Belz - Low flow conditions in the Rhine basin - Developments in the 20th century | (1.2 MB) |
ii-3_olesen.pdf
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| Olesen - Effects of climate change and climate variability on water user functions | (4.12 MB) |
keynote_tallaksen.pdf
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| Tallaksen - Key aspects of low flow and droughts | (4.14 MB) |
iii-3_rademacher.pdf
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| Rademacher - Operational low flow forecasts | (3.31 MB) |
iii-4_alam.pdf
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| Alam - Predicting low flows - so what? | (102.84 KB) |
i-1_finke.pdf
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| Finke - At site and regional indices of low flow and drought periods | (1.34 MB) |
report_workshop_low_flows_2007.pdf
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| Report Workshop Low Flows and Drought | (1.38 MB) |
Day 1 - 25 September 2007
Registration: from 08.30 a.m.
09.00 Welcome by Prof. Dr. Manfred Spreafico, president of CHR
09.15 Keynote by Lena M. Tallaksen, Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo: Key aspects of low flow and droughts
Theme block 1: Observed low flow and drought periods
Chair: Hans Moser / Rapporteur: Caroline Kan
10.00 - 10.30 At site and regional indices of low flow and drought periods: Walter Finke, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz
10.30 - 11.00 Low flow conditions in the Rhine basin - Developments in the 20th century: Jörg U. Belz, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz
11.00 - 11.30 Tea/Coffee - Posters
11.30 - 12.00 The low flow period of 2003 in Austria: Franz Nobilis, University Vienna
12.00 - 12.30 Meteorological conditions leading to the hydrological droughts in Central Europe - Three case studies: 2003, 2005 and 2006: Bruno Rudolf, German Weather Service, Offenbach
12.30 - 13.15 Discussion of theme 1
13.15 - 14.30 Lunch
Theme block 2: Impact of climate change on low flow and drought
Chair: Siegfried Demuth / Rapporteur: Peter Krahe
14.30 - 15.00 Recent developments in climate scenarios in The Netherlands: Bart van den Hurk, Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute, De Bilt
15.00 - 15.30 Effects of climate change and climate variability on hydrology: Jaap Kwadijk, WL | Delft Hydraulics
15.30 - 16.00 2 min. oral poster presentations
16.00 - 16.30 Tea/Coffee - Posters
16.30 - 17.00 Effects of climate change and climate variability on water user functions: Joergen E. Olesen, University of Aarhus - Department of Agroecology and Environment
17.00 - 17.30 Effects of climate change and climate variability for the delta area of the River Rhine: Vincent Beijk, RWS RIZA Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment, Rotterdam
17.30 - 18.15 Discussion of theme 2
19.30 Participants' dinner
Day 2 - 26 September 2007
Theme block 3: Management and adaptation strategies
Chair: Henk Wolters / Rapporteur: Gabriele Müller
09.00 - 09.30 Developments in seasonal to decadal predictions: Daniela Jacob, Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg
09.30 - 10.00 Low flow estimation at ungauged sites: Günter Blöschl, Technical University Vienna
10.00 - 10.30 Operational low flow forecasts: Silke Rademacher, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz
10.30 - 11.00 Tea/Coffee - Posters
11.00 - 11.30 Predicting low flows - so what?: Undala Alam, Cranfield University, Centre for Water Science
11.30 - 12.00 The seven rules for hydrologists wanting to make an impact on water management, Erik Mostert, Technical University Delft - Centre for Research on River Basin Administration, Analysis and Management
12.00 - 12.30 Discussion of theme 3
12.30 - 13.00 Summary and conclusions of the workshop
13.00 Closing of the workshop
13.15 Lunch
Evening event
Participants' dinner near the conference centre on 25 September at 19.30 pm
Hans Moser (chair)
Federal Institute of Hydrology
Postfach 200253
D-56002 Coblence
Tel. 0049-261-1306 5303
moser@bafg.de
Jörg Belz
Federal Institute of Hydrology
Postfach 200253
D-56002 Coblence
Tel. 0049-261-1306 5428
belz@bafg.de
Siegfried Demuth
UNESCO - Division of Water Science
1, rue Miollis
F-75732 Paris
Tel. 0033-14568-3996
s.demuth@unesco.org
Gregor Laaha
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, BOKU Vienna
Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33
A-1180 Vienna
Tel. 0043-1-47654 5066
gregor.laaha@boku.ac.at
Caroline Kan
Federal Office for the Environment
CH-3003 Bern
Tel. 0041-31-3230322
caroline.kan@bafu.admin.ch
Henk Wolters
Rijkswaterstaat - RIZA
P.O. Box 17
NL 8200 AA Lelystad
Tel. 0031-320-298322
henk.wolters@rws.nl
Eric Sprokkereef
Secretariat CHR
P.O. Box 9072
NL-6800 ED Arnhem
Tel. 0031-26-3688367
eric.sprokkereef@rws.nl
| NAME | ORGANISATION |
| Alam, Undala Z. | Centre for Water Science, Cranfield University, UK |
| Beijk, Vincent | Rijkswaterstaat RIZA, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Belz, Jörg U. | Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Blöschl, Günter | TU Wien, Institut für Wasserbau und Ingenieurhydrologie, Austria |
| Bolius, David | Agroscope Reckenholz Tänikon, Zürich Switzerland |
| Brahmer, Gerhard | Hessisches Landesamt für Umwelt und Geologie, Wiesbaden, Germany |
| Bundi, Ulrich | EAWAG, Dübendorf, Switzerland |
| Claessen, Frans | Rijkswaterstaat RIZA, Lelystad, Netherlands |
| Cullmann, Johannes | Secretariat IHP/HWRP, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Demuth, Siegfried | UNESCO Division of Water Sciences, Paris, France |
| Finke, Walter | Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Görgen, Klaus | Centre de Recherche Public - Gabriel Lippmann, Luxemburg |
| Haag, Ingo | Consulting Engineers Dr-Ing. Karl Ludwig, Karlsruhe, Germany |
| Hanspach, Alexa | Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany |
| Hirschi, Martin | Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich Switzerland |
| Holzschuh, Robert | Kanton Thürgau Amt für Umwelt, Frauenfeld, Switzerland |
| Hunger, Martin | Institute of Physical Geography, University of Frankfurt, Germany |
| Hurk, Bart van den | Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, Netherlands |
| Jacob, Daniela | Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany |
| Jaskula, Aleksandra | Ministry of Transport and Water Management. Rijkswaterstaat Limburg, Maastricht, Netherlands |
| Kan, Caroline | Federal Office for the Environment, Bern, Switzerland |
| Kielen, Neeltje | Rijkswaterstaat RIZA, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Kleinhans, Alexander | Bayerisches Landesamt für Imwelt, Hof, Germany |
| Krahe, Peter | Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Kwadijk, Jaap | WL Delft Hydraulics, Delft, Netherlands |
| Menzel, Lucas | Center for Environmental Systems Research, University of Kassel, Germany |
| Moser, Hans | Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Mostert, Erik | Centre for Research on River Basin Administration, Analysis and Management, TU Delft, Netherlands |
| Müller Gabriele | Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft, Vienna, Austria |
| Nilson, Enno | Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Nobilis, Franz | University Vienna, Austria |
| Olesen, Jörgen E. | University of Aarhus, Department of Agroecology and Environment, Denmark |
| Perrin, Charles | Cemagref, Antony, France |
| Rademacher, Silke | Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Ruch, Christophe | Joanneum Research, Graz, Austria |
| Rudolf, Bruno | German Weather Service, Offenbach, Germany |
| Rutten, Martine | Delft University of Technology, Netherlands |
| Schatzl, Robert | Amt der Steyermärkischen Landesregierung, Graz, Austria |
| Spreafico, Manfred | Federal Office for the Environment, Bern, Switzerland |
| Sprokkereef, Eric | Secretariat CHR, Lelystad, Netherlands |
| Stokkermans, Hans | Rijkswaterstaat East Netherlands, Arnhem, Netherlands |
| Strigel, Gerhard | Secretariat IHP/HWRP, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz, Germany |
| Tallaksen, Lena M. | University of Oslo, Department of Geosciences, Norway |
| Terlou, Alberty | Secretariat CHR, Lelystad, Netherlands |
| Valk, Michael van der | CrossVision Digital Communication, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Willems, Winfried | Institute for Applied Water Resources Management and Geoinformatics, Ottobrunn, Germany |
| Wolters, Henk | Rijkswaterstaat RIZA, Lelystad, Netherlands |
| Zwolsman, Gertjan | Kiwa Water Research, Nieuwegein, Netherlands |
| David Bolius - Agroscope Reckenholz Tänikon, Switzerland | The prediction of soil moisture using probabilistic monthly weather forecasts |
| Martijn Booij - University of Twente, Netherlands | Extreme value statistics for meteorological drought at different spatial and temporal scales in the Meuse basin (not available as pdf) |
| Ingo Haag, Consulting Engineers Dr-Ing. Karl Luwdig, Germany | Daily discharge forecasting with operational water-balance models |
| Alexa Hanspach, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany | Climatic and anthropogenic effects on low flow of the Middle Elbe |
| Martin Hirschi, ETH Zürich Switzerland | Recent variations in terrestrial water storage: Comparison of GRACE against basin-scale water-balance diagnostics |
| Aleksandra Jaskula, Rijkswaterstaat Limburg, Netherlands | Prioritising water use during drought |
| Charles Perrin / Cemagref, Antony, France | Daily low flow forecasting of the Rhine basin. Comparison of probabilistic strategies |
| Christophe Ruch / Robert Schatzl - Joanneum Research / Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Graz, Austria | Low flow forecasting model for the River Mur and comparison of the low flow periods 1992, 1993 and 2003, 2004 |
| Martine Rutten / Delft University of Technology, Netherlands | Seasonal statistical forecast of low flow and drought in the River Rhine basin (not available as pdf) |
| Marcel de Wit / Rijkswaterstaat RIZA, Netherlands | Impact of climate change on low flows in the River Meuse |
| Gertjan Zwolsman - Kiwa Water Research, Netherlands |
Water quality of the Rhine river during summer droughts |
