Significance
Surface waters such as lakes and rivers play a key role in water management and ecosystems in many countries. On the one hand, they offer direct access to water needed for agriculture, domestic uses, and industry. On the other hand, surface waters act as the interface between groundwater and the atmosphere, through processes such as evapotranspiration, runoff, and aquifer recharge.
At a geopolitical level, unsustainable anthropogenic use of surface water have a serious potential for conflicts. Many rivers cross international boundaries and upstream usage therefore can create shortages and pollution downstream.
Furthermore, in light of climate change, it is expected that the water cycle will intensify at a global scale (“dry gets drier and wet gets wetter”) but there is still uncertainty on how this will manifests itself at a local and regional level. It is imaginable that some areas see little change in their climatic regime, while others will experience longer droughts more intense floodings and/or changes in the rain seasons.
Aims
This course aims to provide students with a foundation to (1) understand the geophysical processes which affect surface water changes in lakes and rivers, (2) explore various observation methods from space and in situ, and (3) explore ways of adding value to existing datasets. As such, the course will provide students with a skill-set allowing them to tackle surface water problems in various regions of the world, and make them aware of climatic and human factors which are modulating the water cycle with a dedicated focus on lakes and rivers.
The course offers content which is relevant to the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDG) 6 (Clean water and Sanitation). It furthermore has relevance to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through the water use issues of crops, and SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) through water availability for urban areas.