Project objectives:
The overall aim of AQUADAPT is to generate knowledge which supports the strategic planning and management of water resources in semi-arid environments at
catchment level under changing supply / demand patterns and water utilisation conditions. Our intellectual framework reflects recent thinking on the co-evolution
of natural resources and human societies. Practical deliverables at the project level will focus on the characterisation of indicators suitable for understanding
and monitoring co-evolutionary dynamics. Our investigation tool is a multi-thematic work-programme, executed by a Europe wide multi-disciplinary research
team.
Specific objectives include: (a) develop a pre-project strategic assessment tool to support the planning and management of water utilisation under changing
water supply / demand patterns at catchment level, (b) expose variations in the determinants of personal, household, and community water use under differing
water availability conditions, (c) investigate the options and barriers to adaptive water resource governance structures, (d) assess the relationships
between changing rainfall patterns, land use patterns, hydrological balances, agricultural potential, and environmental integrity, (e) generate an historical
perspective on the co-evolutionary relationships between societies, their activities, and water availability / use, (f) collate and advance complimentary
theories in the fields of knowledge representation, knowledge transfer, sustainability, water system sensitivity, and policy development.
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Project
Summary:
The AQUADAPT project will generate knowledge and tools to support strategic water resource planning in semi-arid contexts with an emphasis on the co-ordination
of planning with other aspects of environmental, land use, and socio-economic development. The project is characterised by a co-evolutionary perspective,
the application of a cross-disciplinary enquiry framework, and emphasis on practical outputs, informed by end-users. Research will characterise co-evolutionary
trajectories and identify robust configurations of technologies, policies and distribution arrangements. Actions focus on an analysis of the spatial and
temporal relationships between climate change, land use, governance arrangements, human behaviour, water quality/quantity, and environmental integrity.
Output supports decision-making and stakeholder participation in water resource planning and management. The consortium combines contributions from
theoretical and empirical research, industry and potential end-users.
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Dr Stefan Gödeke