Abstract
Abstract. We follow a user-based approach to examine how information supports operational drought management decisions in the Ebro basin and how these can benefit from additional information such as from remote sensing data. First we consulted decision-makers at basin, irrigation district and farmer scale to investigate the drought-related decisions they make and the information they use to support their decisions. This allowed us to identify the courses of action available to the farmers and water managers, and to analyse their choices as a function of the information they have available to them. Based on the findings of the consultation, a decision model representing the interrelated decisions of the irrigation association and the farmers was built. The purpose of the model is to quantify the effect of additional information on the decisions made. The modelled decisions, which consider the allocation of water, are determined by the expected availability of water during the irrigation season. This is currently informed primarily by observed reservoir level data. The decision model was then extended to include additional information on snow cover from remote sensing. The additional information was found to contribute to better decisions in the simulation and ultimately higher benefits for the farmers. However, the ratio between the cost of planting and the market value of the crop proved to be a critical aspect in determining the best course of action to be taken and the value of the (additional) information. Risk-averse farmers were found to benefit least from the additional information, while less risk-averse farmers stand to benefit most as the additional information helps them take better informed decisions when weighing their options.
Highlights
Water managers and farmers regularly make decisions on how to make the most of the available water resources
The results show that the additional information does help to reduce the losses in some of the years and for all thresholds a better relative value is obtained when using the additional dataset on snow cover
This allowed us to identify the courses of action available to the farmers and water managers, and to analyse their choices as a function of the information they have available to them
Summary
Water managers and farmers regularly make decisions on how to make the most of the available water resources. Information on the availability and variability of the resource is essential to allow these decision-makers to choose among the actions available to them, especially as water becomes scarce, for example during drought events. Improved information on the availability of water can potentially lead to a more effective management and can contribute to the mitigation of the impacts of drought events. In situ meteorological and hydrological measurement networks have long served to inform these decisions, often providing accurate water resources observations at high temporal resolution. The potential of Earth observation (EO) from satellites to support water management has been widely recognised (Famiglietti et al, 2015; Fernandez-Prieto et al, 2012). The availability and quality of EO datasets has continuously improved during recent decades, providing an increasingly relevant source of globally consistent data that can be used to complement in situ data
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
