Project IMPREX
IMPREX is designed to improve the forecasting capability of hydrological extremes and their impacts at synoptic to seasonal time scales, and utilize this capability to generate realistic and relevant information on extreme hydrological impacts at seasonal to climate time scales to business and society. This will contribute to the development of science-based risk management strategies and adaptation options for extreme weather and climate change-related threats. It has the following concrete objectives:
- to generate measurable improvement in forecast skill of hydrological extremes in Europe, their meteorological drivers and their society impacts at short to medium range time scales, and assess the impact of this skill improvement in operational management procedures and protocols;
- to provide an annual outlook of expected hydrological and water resources risk in Europe;
- to support relevant stakeholders with pertinent information on hydrological impacts and risks demonstrated by exemplary case studies;
- to improve the realism of assessments of changes in hydrological risk under future climate conditions, supporting the management of those risks;
- to assist implementation of science-based management strategies taking into account local knowledge on hydrological extremes and their impacts.
IMPREX will improve society’s ability to anticipate and respond to future hydrological extreme events (floods, droughts...) in Europe it will enhance forecast quality of extreme hydro-meteorological conditions and their impacts. The knowledge developed by the project will support risk management and adaptation planning at European and national levels.
GERICS is in charge of WP13 (María Máñez is WP coordinator and PI of the project). In this WP we will develop a sectoral Integration and climate services framework providing a bridge between the scientific results of the project and the implementation of adaptation and water management strategies.
For two case studies an analysis is made to demonstrate the most convenient and
efficient risk and adaptation management strategies. The basic approach makes use of participatory (agent based and system dynamics) modelling concepts, adopting and feeding back to the stakeholder decision making process. The approach allows a thorough evaluation of cross-sectoral and cross-regional impacts of hydrological hazards (e.g. floods affecting simultaneously safety, dam operation, transport, economic damage, etc.).
Existing economic prioritization tools will be enhanced to better facilitate decisions on the most appropriate and efficient adaptation strategies under budgetary restrictions. Application of these decision rules to anticipated future climate events will provide guidance from the water sector to the different national and European Climate Adaptation Strategies