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Aquatic Ecosystems and Sustainable Water Management
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“The impact of climate change on water resources depends not only on changes in the volume, timing, and quality of streamflow and recharge but also on system characteristics, changing pressures on the system, how management of the system evolves, and what adaptations to climate change are implemented. Non-climatic changes may have a greater impact on water resources than climate change”
(IPCC Third Assessment Report - Climate Change 2001 WG II "Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" Technical summary: http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/wg2TARtechsum.pdf).
Terrestrial surface water flows in streams and rivers or stands in ponds and lakes and is fed by unpredictable precipitation, being therefore liable to dry up or overflow, both potentially dangerous. Fresh water from lakes and rivers is used for human consumption, crop irrigation, industrial processes, inland navigation and boating. Sometimes untreated waste water is discharged into receiving bodies. They support ecosystems, indicators and regulators of water quality, resources like fish with direct and indirect economic value for commercial fishermen and anglers.
Water quantities and quality are major issues for society, which are increasingly becoming world-wide concerns and even sources of conflict. Mankind has always tried to manage and develop water resources, often at the cost of damaging them and the ecosystems they harbour. Working in close co-operation with the EURAQUA network of European hydrological institutes, the PEER network “Aquatic Ecosystems and Sustainable Water Management“ will look at these problems in its entirety and propose technically, environmentally and economically feasible solutions.
The PEER centers have been involved in a number of freshwater related Expressions of Interest submitted together with other European partners to the European Commission.
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For more information on this research network please contact:
Dr Seppo Rekolainen
SYKE - Finnish Environment Institute
P.O. Box 140
Mechelininkatu 34a
00251 Helsinki
Finland
Tel.: +358-20-490 2364
Fax: +358-20-490 2391
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