FRESHWATER MANAGEMENT IN A CHANGING WORLD

A two day meeting at University College London, November 6th and 7th, 2013

Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise until at least the middle of this century. Climate modelling studies suggest that even if emissions were stabilised at present levels future climate change is inevitable. These changes are likely to have significant effects on freshwater ecosystems and therefore the way they are managed. The EU Framework 7 project REFRESH (Adaptive strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on European Freshwater ecosystems - http://www.refresh.ucl.ac.uk/) addresses the question 'How can the way we manage our freshwater ecosystems today be adapted so that the effects of future global changes (e.g. climate, land use) can be anticipated and incorporated into management strategies to protect our water resources and conserve freshwater biology?'

REFRESH has two main goals. The first is to increase our understanding of how freshwater ecosystems will respond to the environmental changes driven, for example by climate and land use over the next 50-60 years. The second goal is to translate this knowledge into a form that can be used by water managers.

This two day open meeting will present the results from REFRESH to the project to the scientific community (DAY 1) and highlight the implications for management to those tasked with drawing up and implementing policy and with vested interests in improving and protecting water quality and ecosystem status (DAY 2).

On 6th November a science symposium will showcase REFRESH results including case studies bringing together freshwater ecology, process based hydrochemical modelling and socio-economic analysis. Scientists from across Europe will present state-of-the-art research on lakes, wetlands, streams at the catchment level.

On 7th November the focus will be on the implications for management of climate and land use impacts on freshwater ecosystems (in particular compliance with the Water Framework Directive). This is one of a series of four regional stakeholder workshops and the target audience includes water managers, those tasked with revising the River Basin management Plans and conservation bodies interested in the management of freshwater ecosystems. Representatives from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium will attend. A key component of Day 2 is that stakeholders will be given a platform to respond to the presentation from the REFRESH consortium through a series of discussant presentations.

Central themes of the meeting are:

• Ecological response to changes in stream, lake and wetland temperature, hydrology, temperature and nutrient enrichment (DAY 1)
• Modelling ecosystem response to changes in these parameters by external drivers such as land use and climate change (DAY 1)
• Assessing problems with current and future compliance with EU policy drivers such as the WFD and Habitats Directive. (DAYS 1 and 2)
• Identifying cost effective management strategies that will allow freshwaters management to adapt to future change (DAYS 1 and 2)
• How to improve the science policy interface (DAY 2)
• How to improve communication between scientist and managers (DAY 2)

Attendance at one or both meetings is open and free (including lunch and wine reception). Registration is however required to ensure we do not exceed capacity. Entry will be by ticket only.

Registration

For online registration visit http://eu-refresh.eventbrite.co.uk/

For other queries contact Martin Kernan (m.kernan@ucl.ac.uk) 0207 679 0523 / 07902 994 278

Programme for Meeting

DAY 1 SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM: (Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4LE) - from 11.00am

10.00 Registration

11.00 Welcome and introduction

11.10 Global Change impacts on streams Piet Verdonschot (Alterra)

11.30 Effects of climate-driven changes in temperature regimes on the structure and functioning of river ecosystems, and on changes in river biodiversity. Esben Kristensen (Aarhus University)

11.50 Effects of climate-driven low flows and droughts on structure and functioning of river ecosystems, and on changes in river biodiversity. Isabel Pardo (University of Vigo)

12.10 Global Change impacts on lakes Erik Jeppesen (Aarhus University)

12.30 Ensemble (multi-)modelling study of phytoplankton dynamics in a temperate lowland lake in Denmark (Lake Engelsholm), Dennis Trolle (Aarhus University)

12.50 Results of pan European lake experiment - focus on temperature, salinity / water level, nutrients or some combination - nutrient - temperature interactions? Meryem Beklioglu (Middle Eastern Technical University)

13.10 Lunch

14.10 Global Change impacts on riparian wetlands Merel Soons (University of Utrecht)

14.30 Contrast in spatial patterns of N2O and CO2 emission between a wet and dry year in a Mediterranean riparian zone Francesc Sabater (University of Barcelona)

14.50 Ecological classification of freshwater species: status, applications and perspectivesAstrid Schmidt-Kloiber(BOKU)

15.10 Integrated catchment biophysical modelling - predicting ecosystem response to future change - Andy Wade (Reading University)

15.30 Coffee

16.00 Integrated modelling of river-lake systems to assess the ecological response to projected environmental change: Lake Pyhäjärvi and River Yläneenjoki catchments, Finland Ahti Lepisto (SYKE)

16.20 Bayesian based conceptual model for macroinvertebrate diversity in lowland streams Richard Skeffington (Reading University)

16.40 A transdisciplinary approach to cost-effectiveness and disproportionality in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive Julia Martin-Ortega (The James Hutton Institute).

17.00 REFRESH Case Study 1 - Improving water quality in the Vansjø-Hobøl (Morsa) catchment , Norway Eva Skarbøvik (BIOFORSK)

17.20 REFRESH Case study 2 - Measures to improve environmental conditions in the Louros catchment, Greece Dimitris Skuras (University of Patras)

17.40 Wrap up

17.50 Wine reception

DAY 2 REGIONAL STAKEHOLDER SYMPOSIUM: (JZ Young Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1) 7th November - from 11.00am

11.00 Introduction

11.10 The water challenge in EU Research and Innovation policy Christos Fragakis (EC)

11.30 REFRESH – rationale and purpose of this meeting Martin Kernan (UCL) and Julia Martin Ortega (JHI)

11.45 Managing lakes in a changing world

• Results from REFRESH: Peeter Noges (EMU, Estonia)
• Stakeholder response: Tristan Hatton-Ellis (Natural Resources Wales)
  

12.15 Managing streams in a changing world

• Results from REFRESH: Piet Verdonschot (Alterra, Netherlands)
• Stakeholder response: Bas Van der Wal (STOWA, Netherlands)

12.45 Managing wetlands in a changing world

• Results from REFRESH: Klement Tockner (IGB, Berlin)
• Stakeholder response: Chris Baker (Wetlands International)
  

13.15 Discussion

13.30 Lunch

14.30 Can modelling support integrated catchment management – Dee Case study.

• Results from REFRESH: Bill Slee (JHI)
• Stakeholder response: Eilidh Johnston(SEPA)

15.00 Social and economic effects of improving water quality: sharing scientific and local knowledge and views Thame case study

• Results from REFRESH: Julia Martin Ortega (JHI)
• Stakeholder response: Rachel Lenane (EA)

15.30 Speeding up the transfer of scientific research to water management institutions - Water Diss 2.0
Carolyn Roberts (ESKTN, University of Oxford)

15.45 Panel discussion

17.15 Wrap up

17.30 Wine reception (Grant Museum)