"Dutch earth observation technology for the Yellow River"

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rosema	Nov-07-03, 11:11 AM (GMT)
"Dutch earth observation technology for the Yellow River"
Dutch earth observation technology for the Yellow River At the 1st International Yellow River Forum in Zhengzhou, China, a new Sino-Dutch cooperation in the field of water management was launched. A system will be developed to predict the Yellow River runoff and to map the distribution of drought in the Yellow River basin on the basis of meteorological satellite data. With this information the allocation of scarce river water can be better tuned to the needs. The system will also be used for high water forecasting. At the launching ceremony Vice-Commissioner Huang Ziquang of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC) stressed the need for improving the monitoring and managem4ent of the river water resources using modern technology. In the last 10 years the Yellow river has fallen dry frequently due to insufficient information and lack of control on water distribution and use. The new technology to be implemented has been developed by the Dutch remote sensing company EARS. EARS Director Andries Rosema, pointed out that current hydrological models are sophisticated, but that their performance is restricted due to lack of input data. Current measuring stations are too far apart to create fair representation of the rainfall field. The Energy and Water Balance Monitoring System (EWBMS), to be implemented in the Yellow River basin, will improve the situation in a cost-effective way. This system will be able to provide daily rainfall maps of the basin at 5 km resolution. Moreover this system is the first in the world to map the evaporation of water from the earth surface. The daily maps of rainfall and evaporation will be used to feed distributed models which will assess the water supply in an early stage. The EWBMS will also be used to monitor drought conditions and to make predictions of the effects of water shortage on agricultural production. By providing timely information on water supply and demand, the system will help to improve water allocation decision making in the Yellow River basin, thus enabling for a more efficient water use and higher agricultural production in this drought effected region of China. According to Rosema there are far reaching possibilities for the EWBMS system: "In principle we can map the evaporation all over the world using geostationary meteorological satellites. Such information did not exist, but is essential for many applications related to water and food. We are using the EWBMS system already to make provincial and national crop yield forecasts for Africa". A third partner in the Yellow River project is the Unesco Institute for Water Education IHE in Delft. This institute contributes hydrological knowledge and plays an important role in knowledge transfer. For EARS this is not the first project in China. The EWBMS was already implemented with three Chinese government institutions for application in the field of desertification monitoring, drought monitoring and crop yield forecasting. .-. More information: Andries Rosema EARS Kanaalweg 1, 2628 EB DELFT, Netherlands tel. 0031-15-2562404 mobile: 0031-627095760 email: andries.rosema@ears.nl Relevant links launching ceremony in Zhengzhou, China http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/24/content_274995.htm http://www.yrcc.gov.cn/lib/hhkx/2003-10-23/jj_08311937725.html Relevant web sites EARS http://www.earlywarning.nl/ http://www.ears.nl/ewbms
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