online course on
Managing the effects of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems under water scarcity

This course is designed to give a general overview of the GLOBAQUA project outcomes, and to provide a number of key messages, insights, recommendations, and results for improving policy making and implementation and for sustainable freshwater management.

Description

Freshwater systems are under threat by a variety of stressors (e.g. organic and inorganic pollution, cover change, water abstraction, land use). The joint occurrence of many stressors (chemical, geomorphologic, biological) under water scarcity may produce novel and unfamiliar synergies and effects of unknown consequences. Therefore, it is crucial to deeply understand how water scarcity interacts with other stressors in freshwaters and to convey this information to managers, stakeholders and policymakers in order to minimise impacts, to adapt to oncoming changes, and to improve water management and policies. In this context, a renewal and strengthening of the technical skills of all the actors involved is required together with an improved communication flow among actors.
The EU-funded GLOBAQUA
project developed this free interactive on-line tool, which aims to improve the professional competences, knowledge and information of those working in water management and water protection (i.e. regulators, policy makers, water managers and other professionals). Also students and researchers may find useful and interesting information about the most recent developments in the field of freshwater management and water protection in multi-stressor conditions.

Presentations
Lessons
ProfessorChaptersTitles of the lessonsMaterials
Prof. Damià Barceló
Prof. Damià Barceló

Full Research Professor at IDAEA-CSIC and Head of the Environmental Chemistry Department. He has published over 642 scientific papers in journals of SCI, 120 book chapters and editor of 20 books on Environmental analysis and fate of pollutants. He is member of the Editorial board of several journals. Supervisor of 34 PhD theses on environmental analysis, fate and behaviour of organic pollutants in water, sediment and biota. Partner and

INTRO
Managing the effects of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems under water scarcity
Managing the effects of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems under water scarcity

This presentation gives an overview of freshwater ecosystems and multiple-stressors effects and introduces the GLOBAQUA project. This is a 5-year project, funded by the EU, which focuses on the effects of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems under water scarcity.

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Quiz
Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig
Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig

Ralf is Professor in Applied Physical Geography and Environmental Modeling at LMU’s Department of Geography. His research is focused on the assessment of climate change, land use change and extreme events impact on hydrology and water resources management. He uses process-based and spatially distributed hydrological modeling at the catchment scale, remote sensing data assimilation and model integration for applications ranging from Mediterranean to subarctic environments.

1
Multiple-stressor mechanisms in European freshwater systems
Multiple-stressor mechanisms in European freshwater systems

This presentation highlights some major findings from the Module STRESSORS, which is targeted to understand the mechanisms and interactions of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems in the GLOBAQUA river basins. It provides climatic and socioeconomic drivers to set the boundary conditions for impact models, which then interact to analyse surface and groundwater hydrological patterns, sediment and pollutant transport, the quality of physical habitat and fate of inorganic and organic pollutants.

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Prof. Isabel Muñoz
Prof. Isabel Muñoz

Professor of ecology at the University of Barcelona. Her research has focused on river ecology through the biology of invertebrates. She has been involved in national and international projects focused on the responses of invertebrate community to hydrological changes, organic matter quality and human impacts in Mediterranean rivers. In ecotoxicology, she is working on the effects of emerging contaminants on invertebrates.

2
Multiple stressors effects on biodiversity and river ecosystem functioning
Multiple stressors effects on biodiversity and river ecosystem functioning

Description of the main results from the Module Receptors in the project Globaqua. This module has analysed the effects of multiple stressors on both the biodiversity and functioning of river ecosystem.

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Dr. Stella Tsani
Dr. Stella Tsani

Dr Stella Tsani is an affiliated reasearcher at ATHENA RC, Senior Researcher at ICRE8 and the Head of the Department of Energy, Economic Policy and Regional Cooperation at ICRE8 and UN SDSN Greece. She holds a PhD in Economics and Business from the University of Reading, UK. She obtained her BSc degree in Economics from the National and Kapodistiran University of Athens, Greece and Exeter University, UK and her MA degree in Business and Management in Emerging Markets from the University of Reading, UK. Her research interests focus on resource economics, energy, development, political economy, macroeconomics and socio-economic analysis.

She has led research in projects funded by the European Commission (FP7, Horizon 2020) and various Directorates (DGENV, DGENER), the World Bank, Revenue Watch Institute USA, etc.

3
The use of economic incentives to improve programs of measures
The use of economic incentives to improve programs of measures

The current presentation focuses on: the need for economic instruments based on market needs and on the Water Framework Directive; the economic instruments available to policy makers and the related Pros & Cons; the necessity of integrating non-monetary values; and Policy & Management recommendations for integrated management of the water resources.

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Prof. Nikolaos Voulvoulis
Prof. Nikolaos Voulvoulis

Nick Voulvoulis BSc (Hons) MSc DIC PhD DMS is Professor of Environmental Technology at Imperial College’s Centre for Environmental Policy. He is an international expert in environmental management, especially where science and engineering interface with public policy and researches the interactions between human and natural systems across many areas and diverse sectors. Key focuses include: Water Technology and Management, Environmental Pollution and Health, and Resources Management.

4
Improving water management practices and policies
Improving water management practices and policies

The presentation aims to support water managers in implementing the current European Union (EU) freshwater policies and specifically the procedural elements of Water Framework Directive (WFD). The water managers will develop a good understanding of the WFD’s new paradigm, current implementation issues at both EU and river basin level. They will also understand the main lessons, opportunities for improvement and the way forward for effective water management.

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Dr. Daniel von Schiller, Prof. Arturo Elosegi
Dr. Daniel von Schiller, Prof. Arturo Elosegi

Dr. Daniel von Schiller: Postdoctoral researcher in aquatic ecosystem ecology at the University of the Basque Country. His research focuseson understanding hou global change shapes the functioning og freshwater ecosystems. Main research lines:(i) Ecology of intermittent rivers, (ii) Impact of human activities on in-stream nutrient and carbon processing, (iii) Development and implementation of novel techniques for measuring stream ecosystem functioning.
Prof. Arturo Elosegi: Professor of ecology and limnology in the Universityof the Basque Country. Expert on stream functioning, whit special emphasis on the links between hydrogeomorphology and nutrient retention, stream metabolism, or organic matter dynamics. Studied the impacts of chanches in soil uses, eutrophication, water abstraction or stream channel modifications. Involved in several river restoration projects, as well as in committees for nature conservation.
5
Toolbox to measure river ecosystem functioning
Toolbox to measure river ecosystem functioning

Introduction to the measurement of ecosystem functioning for river monitoring and assessment, including basic definitions, reasons for their implementation, presentation of the toolbox developed in the frame of the EU-project GLOBAQUA, potential uses, recommendations and key references.

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Dr. Angel Udias
Dr. Angel Udias

Angel UDIAS holds a Ph. D. in Modelling and Numerical Simulation in Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid and a BSc Degree in Mining Engineering also in the UPM. He joined the Joint Research Centre in 2012 as a postdoctoral researcher. Previously, Professor (7 years) in the Statistics and OR Dept. at the URJC of Madrid and consultant (8 years) in industrial research projects. His main research areas are: Optimization, Multi-criteria Analysis, Water Resources Management, Statistics Environmental Analysis, statistical Modelling.

6
The ESPRES online tool
The ESPRES online tool

This e-learning module presents ESPRES, a web-based Decision Support Tool whose main objective is to help the stakeholders to explore management options to reduce the impact of anthropogenic pressures in European Basins. The pressures considered in ESPRES are related with water use and nutrient application. The tool include a MOO engine to identified Pareto efficient strategies in terms of maximizing the quality in the basin minimizing the total effort for reducing the pressures. Environmental impacts of management scenarios are assessed with data and models and could be easily examined.

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Prof. Adriaan Slob, Tara Geerdink
Prof. Adriaan Slob, Tara Geerdink

Adriaan Slob is senior researcher in TNO Strategy and Policy. He has more than thirty years of experience in inter-disciplinary projects on the boundary of environmental science and policy. Presently, his work concentrates on the role of knowledge and learning in sustainability policy processes, and the involvement of stakeholders. He is a skilled facilitator of (policy) processes. He has experience in many EU-projects (ARCH, AquaTerra, RiskBridge, etc.), also as a leader (BRAINPOoL, PSI-connect,.). He is also visiting associate professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Tara Geerdink is a medior researcher in TNO Strategy and Policy since 2013. She obtained her master degree in Earth Sciences and Economics in 2013 at the Free University in Amsterdam. She has experience with stakeholder and governance analysis as well as knowledge brokerage focusing on challenges in the domains of water, climate and energy. Tara currently works in the EU-project RESIN, facilitating European cities in their climate adaptation process and Globaqua on multi-stressor problems in water management.

7
Knowledge brokerage instruments for river basin management
Knowledge brokerage instruments for river basin management

This presentation focuses on knowledge brokerage instruments for river basin management and introduces 2 knowledge brokerage instruments: role playing game and scenario planning exercise. There is an increasing complexity of water management and new ways of dealing with complex problems are needed. Knowledge brokerage is a new way, a process of knowledge production and exchange facilitated by a knowledge broker.

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Dr. Gabriele Sacchettini
Dr. Gabriele Sacchettini

Gabriele Sacchettini is a permanent researcher at Aeiforia, spin-off of the the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Within the activities which he is involved in, are included initiatives and research projects at national and European level especially regarding the sustainable use of plant protection products in agriculture, the sustainable management of water resources and training and communication activities to promote sustainability in the agro-food sector.

ANNEX
The e-learning course approach
The e-learning course approach

The course is focused on delivering main findings, key messages and practical tools developed within GLOBAQUA. The course was developed through OpenTEA, it is moderated and includes several kinds of materials organised in a coherent manner, self-assessment approaches and the possibility to obtain a certification of attendance. Here the scientific framework is described.

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Certificate

To obtain a certification of attendance you have to complete all modules included in the course watching all materials and answering correctly to the relative quiz included. For more information contact the tutor of the course (Dr. Alice Tediosi).