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PARTICIPANTS
The SCARCE consortium is formed by 12 Spanish scientific groups from the following
institutions:
IDAEA-CSIC Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research-CSIC, Dep. of
Environmental Chemistry (Barcelona)
Lead: Damià Barceló [email protected]
ICRA
Catalan Institute for Water Research, Ecology of fluvial ecosystems (Girona)
in collaboration with Univertisy of Girona and German Federal Institute of
Hydrology (Koblenz). Lead: Sergi Sabater [email protected]
UB
University of Barcelona. Flumen, ecology of rivers and reservoirs (Barcelona)
in collaboration with Pyrenean Institute of Ecology-CSIC (Zaragoza)
Lead: Isabel Muñoz [email protected]
UPC
Technic University of Catalonia, Hydrogeology (Barcelona)
Lead: Xavier Sánchez-Vila [email protected]
UV
University of Valencia, Food and Environmental Safety and Economy
(València). Lead: Yolanda Picó García [email protected] and
Francesc La-Roca [email protected]
SCARCE
Assessing and predicting effects on
water quantity and quality in Iberian
rivers caused by global change
Consolider-Ingenio 2010 CSD2009-00065
ICMAN-CSIC Institute of Marine Sciencies of Andalucia-CSIC, Ecology and ecotoxicology of
estuarine ecosystems (Cádiz)
Lead: Julián Blasco [email protected]
EHU
University of the Basque Country, River Ecohydrology (Bilbao)
Lead: Arturo Elósegi [email protected]
URV
University Rovira and Virgili, Tecnatox (Tarragona)
Lead: Marta Schuhmacher [email protected]
UdL
University of Lleida, Fluvial Geomorphology Group (Lleida) in collaboration
with Catalonian Forest Technological Centre (Solsona)
Lead: Ramon Batalla [email protected]
UPV
UPM
Coordinator
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
IDAEA-CSIC, Dep. Environmental Chemistry
c/ Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
www.idaea.csic.es
Technical University of Valencia, Hydraulic Engineering and Environment
(Valencia)
Lead: Félix Francés [email protected]
Polytechnic University of Madrid, Numerical Techniques in Earth
Sciences (Madrid)
Lead: Carlos Conde
www.idaea.csic.es/scarceconsolider
Contact:
Prof. Damià Barceló (project coordinator)
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Alícia Navarro-Ortega (project manager)
E-mail: [email protected]
MAIN TASKS
Water has been a major driver of socio-economic development in the entire
Mediterranean basin, despite of its typical temporal variability. The increasing
anthropogenic manipulation of hydrology and the exacerbation of climate change have
resulted in an even larger temporal variability. In particular, Mediterranean streams are
undergoing severe alterations in the flow regime because of a decrease in the number
of precipitation days, and an increase in days with heavy rains. The imbalance between
the available water resources during extended droughts and the increasing
anthropogenic water demand results in major ecological and economical problems. In
consequence, water availability has become a major issue for all governments in
Mediterranean regions. However, the consequences of global change will not only be
on water availability but also on water quality and ecosystem services.
WP1- DATA
- Quality check of the data and harmonizing process of the data series
- Determination of coherent spatial regions in regard of their response to
climate trends and cycles
- Determination of flagship sites for calibrating models
WP2 - HYDROL
- Interface interactions
- Effects of natural, artificial, and induced recharge
- Risk of chemical compounds reaching the water bodies
WP3 - MORPH
-
WP4 - QUALITY
- Priority and emerging compounds as contributors to water pollution in the
Iberian Peninsula
- Recognition of biodiversity patterns
- Influence of the stress caused by water scarcity on the toxicity of priority and
emerging compounds under experimental conditions
- Provide a multi-biomarker tool box for the study of the effects of multi-stress
situations using fluvial communities
- Forecasting future threats on ecosystems and human populations derived
from multi-stress situations. A risk-based analysis
WP5 - PROCESS
- Characterization of the major metabolic functions of river ecosystems under
global change
- Temperature and flow controls on the dynamics of P, N and C
- Mechanistic model of the functioning of Mediterranean stream ecosystems
under global change
WP6 - UPSCALE
-
WP7- ECONOMY
- Appraisal of the relevant ecosystem services from a socioeconomic point of
view
- Scenario building of socioeconomic settings by 2050
- Identification of possible policy actions
WP8 - SERVICES
- Assessment of ecosystem services in river networks and wetlands
- To quantify the value of multiple ecosystem services at a broad scale
- Assessment of the potential improvements of the services with the
implementation of the River Basin Management Plans
WP9 - FRAME
- Information exchange with river basin managers and stakeholders
- Formative/Training actions
- Elaboration of management adapted documents and other related materials
GOALS
SCARCE is a multipurpose project that aims to describe and predict the relevance of global
change impacts on water availability, water quality and ecosystem services in Mediterranean
river basins of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as their impacts on the human society and
economy. Hence, the project has assembled a multidisciplinary team of leading scientists in
the fields of hydrology, geomorphology, chemistry, ecology, ecotoxicology, economy,
engineering and modeling, in an unknown effort in the CONSOLIDER framework. The
project also has the active involvement of Water Authorities and other relevant agents as
stakeholders.
SCARCE has two complementary objectives:
1.The first and largest tackles basic research questions that will define the long-term
patterns and actual mechanisms that operate in the hydrology, water quality, habitat
dynamics, and ecosystem structure and function of Mediterranean watersheds.
2. The second objective of the project, or its corollary, is related to the effects of climate and
human footprint (taken both as key elements of global change) on the freshwater ecosystem
services, as well as the urgent need to finalize, implement, and eventually refine the River
Basin Managment Plans (RBMP) demanded by the EU Water Framework Directive.
Sediment transport dynamics
River’s morphosedimentary structure and physical habitat
Comparison of sedimentary processes
River impacts and global change scenarios
Process oriented models development
Global change scenarios and generation of inputs
Tailoring InVEST to the Mediterranean area
DSS development with AQUATOOL shell
WORK PACKAGES
STUDY APPROACH
SCARCE is structured across a series of Horizontal and Thematic Work Packages that
coordinate the various scientific goals and ensure their interactions.
To answer these questions, a cross-scale approximation will be applied, with data mining
and field based research in four representative watersheds in Spain: Llobregat, Ebro,
Júcar, and Guadalquivir. The selected basins cover a substantial area of the
Mediterranean Spain, as well as a rich set of socio-ecological conditions: forested
mountainous areas, highly populated watersheds relying on water transfers, agricultural
areas, and industrial clusters based on groundwater resources.
The basic research element will be the kilometer-scale river reach, including the river
channel, the alluvial plain and associated groundwater, as well as the dams that disrupt river
continuity. At this scale, we will evaluate the impacts of global change on several processes
affecting freshwater ecosystem services (e.g. nutrient processing and contaminant retention
capability, sediment transport, community assembling, and habitat integrity).
Field research will focus on:
i) those hydrological episodes more relevant in Mediterranean region such as extended
droughts; and
ii) identified sensitive areas to global change. Results will be upscaled from the targeted
river basins to the whole Mediterranean region in Spain.
WP1- DATA
Data collection and attribution of global change effects
WP2 - HYDROL
Surface and groundwater hydrology. Associated processes at
different scales.
WP3 - MORPH
Impacts of changing hydrology on sediment transport, channel
morphology and physical habitat.
WP4 - QUALITY
Linking the effects of chemical quality with environmental
stressors on biodiversity and human risks.
WP5 - PROCESS
Effects of global change in ecosystem processes
WP6 - UPSCALE
Building and testing integrative models. Upscaling to the Iberian
Mediterranean area
WP7- ECONOMY
Generation of socioeconomic scenarios
WP8 - SERVICES
Assessment of current freshwater ecosystem services, and
susceptibility to global climate change
WP9 - FRAME
Integration of results at the watershed scale and implications for
generation of EU WFD River Basin Management Plans.
WP10 -. MANAGE
General management of the project, including dissemination
and training
Scale
Microscale
Mesoscale
Water body
WP1
Workpackages
WP2
WP3
WP4
Catchment
Ebro
DATA
Llobregat
HYDROL
MORPH
QUALITY
WP5
PROCESS
WP6
UPSCALE
WP7
WP8
ECONOMY
SERVICES
WP9
FRAME
Guadalquivir
Júcar
Llobregat
The Llobregat river is the second longest river in Catalonia (NE Spain), with a total length
over 170 kilometers. The river is heavily managed in its lower course and water that once
run to the sea is now pumped upstream to increase the natural flow, recharge the delta
wetlands and control seawater intrusion. This river is one of Barcelona’s major drinking
water resources. The Llobregat receives extensive urban and industrial waste water
discharges as well as surface runoff from agricultural areas that cannot be diluted by its
natural flow. Consequently, waters have high concentration of pesticides, surfactants,
pharmaceuticals and estrogenic compounds with important effects on the biological
communities. As a typical Mediterranean river is regularly subjected to periodic floods and
droughts which lead to frequent morphological variations in the river bed. Nowadays, it
receives inputs from various sewage treatment plants, which may be relevant during periods
of water scarcity. These events result in reduced water flow and dilution capacity, increasing
the potential environmental risk of pollutants to the immediate environment and potentially to
the functioning of the entire ecosystem.
Ebro
The Ebro river is the most important river in Spain, 928 km in length and with a drainage
basin of 85,550 km². It also generates the Ebro Delta, one of the largest wetland areas (320
km²) in the western Mediterranean region. The modern delta is in intensive agricultural use
for rice, fruit (in particular citrus), and vegetables. A large part of the delta was designated as
Ebro Delta Natural Park in 1983 (Parc Natural del Delta de l'Ebre). A network of canals and
irrigation ditches constructed by both agricultural and conservation groups are helping to
maintain the ecologic and economic resources of the Ebro Delta. The Ebro is largely
regulated by dams and channels, which have altered its hydrological and sedimentary
regime. During the 20th Century the mean annual flow has also decreased by approximately
30%, due to the construction of these dams but also the increasing demands for irrigation
and the evaporation from reservoirs in the river basins. Abstraction of ground and surface
water, irrigation and industrial activities concentrated close to the main cities in the basin
have also deteriorated soil and water quality, where pollution is relevant.
Guadalquivir
With a length of 657 km, the Guadalquivir is, together with its tributaries, the main water
source of the region with more than 7 millions inhabitants. As a consequence of such a high
population, the river receives many inputs, from both natural and anthropogenic origin, that
may cause deterioration of water quality. The river is navigable up as far as Seville (about
90 km upstream), a major inland port. But this navigation also leads to a serious
environmental problem due to erosion and pollution. The lower Guadalquivir river basin is
also impacted by reservoirs and dams and its regime is rather artificial. Besides, more than
700,000 HAS of its basin are devoted to agriculture, with very high production of rice,
especially in the river’s lower course that traverses extensive marshlands, olives or fruits,
with the corresponding environmental effects in the river. Its natural environment is one of
the most varied in Europe, containing representatives of half of the continent’s plant species
and nearly all those of the North African region. The estuary has an added ecological value
due to the presence of the Doñana National Park, an important and protected wetland area,
but it has been subjected to relevant transformations and suffers from metal inputs.
Júcar
The Júcar has almost 500 km of length and contributes to the Albufera, an important
protected wetland area in the Comunitat de València. The Júcar basin was designated as a
European Pilot River Basin for the implementation of the WFD. The surface water resources
are regulated by 27 dams with storage capacity for 2,600 hm3 of water and distributed
trough a wide net of channels. The management of the system is very complex, with many
users, and considerable hydrologic variability. Furthermore, overextraction of groundwater
has unbalanced the hydrological system, even severely affecting the river flow. Water quality
problems appear in the medium and lower parts of the basin. There is an intense use of the
surface and groundwater resources, especially due to agricultural activities, that together
with the industry also affect the water quality by increasing the levels of contamination in
both kinds of water bodies. During the last 10 years the yearly averaged amount of water
has decreased to 2,700 hm3, causing water scarcity and salinisation of the mouth of the
river. Nowadays, it is very frequent that the Júcar does not flow into the see during long
periods of the year generating a salt wedge of more than 3 km long.