PROJECT DETAILS
Title: LIFE TRIVERS - Implementing the Water Framework Directive to temporary rivers: tools for the assessment of their ecological status
Principal Researcher: Narcís Prat
Funding entity: LIFE+ program European Union
Project’s code: LIFE13 ENV/ES/000341
Funding amount: 682,962 €
Duration: 02/06/2014 - 01/06/2018
Beneficiaries: Universidad de Barcelona (UB), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA - CISC), Catalan Water Agency (ACA), Júcar River Basin Authorities (CHJ)
ABSTRACT OF THE PROJECT
LIFE TRivers studies the hydrology and ecology of temporary rivers and aims at creating new tools to improve their management according to the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).
The project will provide European river basin authorities and relevant stakeholders with an operationally tested software tool (TREHS, Temporary Rivers’ Ecological and Hydrological Status) which is designed to adequately implement the Water Framework Directive in this kind of water bodies. Based on a predictive model of the evolution of a river’s characteristics over time, the tool will detect if temporariness is due to natural characteristics of the river, to climatic changes or to human impacts. It is also expected to help managers select appropriate sampling dates and use the right methods to determine ecological status. The results will contribute significantly to improving the management of temporary rivers and to increasing their recognition in society and in policies related to water and biodiversity.
LINKS
www.lifetrivers.eu
Twitter: @LifeTRivers
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_jnnVM2MGg