Problems and Opportunities of Integrated Basin Management in Mountains

Problems and opportunities of integrated basin management in mountains

Carmen de Jong

The Mountain Institute, University of Savoy

France 5th World Water Forum

Suggestions for possible contribution to RIOB session on “River Basin Management and Transboundary Cooperation”

Problems and Opportunities of Integrated Basin Management in Mountains

Organisers: Mountain Institut (Carmen de Jong) Gazi University (Ibrahim Gurer) and others Problems and Opportunities of Integrated Basin Management in Mountains AIMS

• Awareness raising for climate and anthropogenic induced catchment problems in the Alps (moving away from perception of „whole“ catchment to „subcatchment“ scale)

• Development of pan-alpine Stakeholder Interaction Forum (moving through local to national and alpine scale)

• Monitoring and modelling, development of Early Warning System against Water Scarcity, suggestions for water management strategies Useful background experience for preparing session

- Special Session “Water in Mountains” in September 2008 at WWC in Montpellier

- Interreg Alpine Space project Alp-Water-Scarce (Water Management Strategies against Water Scarcity in the Alps) with 17 partners Interreg Alpine Space

Alp-Water-Scarce Water management strategies against water scarcity in the Alps Water problems in mountains ? Projection des disponibilités en eau et des prélevements en fonction du temps

Prélevement d’eau Point de conflit

Disponibilité en eau

changement climatique

Temps Changing climatic pressures

Zermatt in 1890 Lopé 1884 Artificial snow for nordic skiing

Terre Sauvage 2008 Snow making is water intensive

4700 m3 / ha Changing anthropogenic pressures

Zermatt, Petit Cervin: model Zermatt, Petit Cervin

Plans for tourist platform and pressurised hotel (117 m in height, extension up to 4000m) Anthropogenic and climatological pressures on mountain catchments

Will the upper anthropogenic limits be constrained by altitude, or not?

de Jong et al 2008 Seasonal Water Consumption for Tourism

300 000 ) 3

200 000

100 000 drinking water (m

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 month

Les Chapelles Albertville St. Martin de Belleville Bourg St. Maurice

de Jong et al 2008 a Spatial Water Consumption for Tourism

200 km2 1600 km2

- sub catchment of 200 km2 - main catchment of 1600 km2 - relative winter discharge of 10 L/s/km2 - relative winter discharge of 10 L/s/km2 - tourist density of 300 beds/km2 - tourist density of 190 beds/km2 The Arcs ski resort: construction of water reservoir for snow making

Catchment of Pissevieille

Snow water reservoir of Adret des Tuffes 6 Arc 2000 4 5 3 Arc 1800 1 2

Arc 1600 Bourg-Saint-Maurice

de Jong & Barth 2008 Possible evolution of the hydrograph under the impact of artificial snow

- 1 to -2 % - 3 to -5 % +20 to +30% Average monthly dicharge Average

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept natural discharge (L/s) possible evolution 1 possible evolution 2 possible evolution 3

de Jong & Barth 2008 3. Propositions pour la gestion intégrée de l’eau en montagne en soulignant le rôle des acteurs et les approches interdisciplinaires CONCLUSIONS

- AlpWaterScarce will intensify long term, observational networks and integrate “soft” (or qualitative) stakeholder knowledge - integrate short term, in situ (but significant) water abstraction such as for snow production or tourism in monitoring and modelling approaches - develop adaptation and mitigation strategies (drought resistance crops) - create Early Warning Systems at sub-catchment scale, integrating economical and hydrological requirements - develop new mountain water regulations together with Alpine Convention CHALLENGE

Help to develop an interdisciplinary and intersectorial problem consciousness and acceptance Périodes de conflits d’usage de l’eau

Chamonix Mont Blanc (205 km2) /s) 3 Q (m

hiver hiver

Arthaz-Pont-Notre-Dame (1666 km2) Prélévements en eau pour : /s) 3 - tourisme Q (m - neige de culture - hydroéléctricité - agriculture Water balance Vernagt Glacier

Parameters based on direct measurements

Braun er al 2007 L’eau utilisée pour l’agriculture

Réalisation : Pierre Paccard – données Agence de l‘Eau RMC, 2004 L’eau utilisée pour la production de neige

Réalisation Pierre Paccard – Données Savoie Mont Blanc Tourisme & Agence de l‘Eau RMC, 2004 Pressure on mountain water resources by tourism

Town permanent/ Max. drinking Ratio average tourist water in winter water population (m3) (m3)/ person

Albertville 18 000 140 000 7.8

Les Chapelles 400 2 000 5

Bourg St. 6750 160 000 23.7/ Maurice 20 000 8 Glacier mass balance worldwide

Dyurgerov & Meier 2006 Glacier retreat of Sonnblick Glacier

Austria Böhm et al 2007 Temperatures compared for high latitudes and high altitudes 15

-5 Annual mean Temperature (°C) Annual mean Temperature

-10 1894 1899 1904 1909 1914 1919 1924 1929 1934 1939 1944 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 Year Bourg St. Maurice (900 m) Sonnblick (3100 m) Angmagssalik 65°36‘ N (52 m) a) b) Villards Saint-Pantaléon

0,8 0 0,7 0

0,7 0,6 ) ) /s)

/s) 2 2 3 3 0,6 0,5 0,5 4 0,4 4 0,4 0,3 0,3 6 6 0,2

0,2 rainfall (mm 8 rainfall (mm 8 discharge (m discharge 0,1 discharge (m discharge 0,1 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 0 00 00 :00 :0 :0 :0 :00 :0 :0 :0 :0 :0 :00 :0 :0 :0 :00 :0 :0 2: :00 2: 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0:01 0:0012:000:0012: 0 12:000:0012:000:01 0:0012:000:0012: 0:00 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 rainfallPluie Débitnatural naturel Q Débit artificielartificial rainfallPluie Débitnatural naturel Q Débit artificielartificial

Fig. 4 Precipitation, extreme flood of 12th June 2003 (blue line) and reconstruction of impacts of artificial snow melt (yellow line) for the torrent a) Villards (5) and b) Saint Pantaleon (4).