GEOSS Joint Asia-Africa Water Cycle Symposium
Ito International Research Center, Ito Hall, University of Tokyo, Hongo Campus
25 – 27 November 2013
Draft Executive Summary
Background
The Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI) and the African Water Cycle Coordination Initiative (AfWCCI)
have evolved as regional water resource management activities of the Global Earth Observation System ofSystems (GEOSS), being implemented by the intergovernmental partnership of the Group on EarthObservations (GEO). Both initiatives have recently started the next phase of implementation planning and ajoint Symposium was held to build upon the commonalities of approach and promote an exchange of ideas.
A major theme of the Symposium was addressing integrated water resource management (IWRM) in thecontext of climate change through principles of the GEOSS Water Cycle Integrator (WCI), which draws
upon cross-SBA data and information to provide a holistic approach to IWRM. Other main themes of theSymposium deliberations included:• Expected roles of Earth observations (EO) and data integration on water management and the WaterEnergy-Food nexus in Asia and Africa;• Capacities of the science communities and Earth observation sectors;• Possible contributions of EO to monitoring progress toward Water Sustainable Development goals;• River basin proposals of the 1st AfWCCI implementation plan in Africa; and Country proposals ofthe 2nd AWCI implementation plan in Asia.
GEO and GEOSS post-2015:
In anticipation of having its mandate renewed at the Geneva Ministerial Summit in January 2014, GEO andGEOSS will continue to address the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development calls for actions, inparticular to provide EO data for informed decision making for society. Core functions of GEO post-2015
will include:• Strengthening observation systems (space-based, airborne and particularly in-situ) and networks amongobservation systems;• Advancing interoperability and integration of Earth observations;• Promoting the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles;• Building and sustaining an information system that provides access to the data and products of its
Members and Participating Organizations;• Developing capacity to collect and use Earth observations, and promoting regional GEOSS
implementation;• Supporting research and development of integrated applications of Earth observations; and• Engaging with users and decision-makers.
GEOSS Capability and Needs of Stakeholders:
Climate change poses a fundamental threat for water resources, and once water-plentiful societies maychange into water-stressed regions (e.g. Pakistan and Nepal). GEOSS stakeholders needing data andinformation about the water cycle range from scientists and researchers, to managers of not only waterresources, but also managers of components within the agriculture, ecosystem, energy, transportation andtourism sectors. The importance of building a strong regional and global collaboration platform for tacklingwater resources issues under climate change is critical, as well as forging meaningful partnerships that
actually address the issues scientifically and are backed by political resolve. Capacity building opportunities
available due to such frameworks are another key component necessary for successful development andmanagement of water resources.
Approaches such as the WCI emphasize the importance of data
integration, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity for sustainable development of water andenvironmental resources - particularly as they pertain to the “Water-Food-Energy nexus” - while promoting
disaster risk reduction. The WCI emphasizes the importance of data integration, interdisciplinarity andtransdisciplinarity for sustainable development of water and environmental while promoting disaster risk
reduction. The WCI has been implemented in projects ranging from dam operation optimization for hydro-power generation and flood control, to rice production in Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia. The core ofthe WCI is the Data Integration and Analysis System (DIAS), which has been developed by the University ofTokyo.
Official Development Assistance
Official Development Assistance (ODA) agencies respond to different types of requests. Some agencies
work by agreement between the government of a recipient country and the agency, based on an official
request for a specific resource management plan through diplomatic channels. Others look for pilot activities
that fit development criteria and strategies, such as sustainable use of water, and emphasize an integrated
approach in areas such as climate information, decision-making capacity, and adaptation finance. Still others
require that Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) be addressed specifically. Usually, identification ofcommon problems across a region or continent will then indicate the appropriate framework forcollaboration. In all cases, it was acknowledged that discussions with end-users and stakeholders are criticalto the success of any program. There is an urgent need to increase observation networks in order to cater toneeds of climate service providers, especially in regions dominated by cryospheric processes.
Water Cycle Observations and Integrated Water Resources Management
One unique feature of water – its continuous recycling – is being disturbed by human activities throughincreasing industrialization and water demands for agriculture as well as domestic use. Some countries arefacing annual water demands that exceed natural availability of water resources. “Sustainable development isdevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations tomeet their own needs,” 1 and symposia such as this one are viewed as important to bring constructive
recommendations to policy makers and researchers for the promotion of sustainable development of waterresources. Establishment of local water committees or Communities of Practice serving as a forum for
consultation among all stakeholders and for communication with higher level entities has contributed torationalization of water use. In addition, strategic frameworks that focus on restructuring of water
management entities to assure their efficient and stable functioning through all levels of governance, fromthe local and city levels to the state, need to be developed. Other suggestions included:• integrating education, research and capacity development in a sustainable approach to IWRM (GEO
can provide valuable support to this strategy by providing global to local connectivity, designs formonitoring systems, information on data repositories and their use, and supporting continuity
through pilot projects);• GEO and GEOSS can play a key role in bringing together science and research to develop practicalapplications in IWRM and build capacity, especially at the basin level;• resolving data gaps resulting from insufficient in-situ networks, sparse observations of thecryosphere, and limited access to satellite data and unavailability of representative data sets;• forming a small working group to explore ways to interact with the UN and development agencies toraise the profile of in-situ observations;• making maximum use of data portals, such as the CEOS Water portal, for discovery and access ofsatellite, in-situ, and model output data.
Contributions by Earth Observation & Science Communities
Science/research communities were invited to inform the Symposium of their activities and explore potential
avenues for collaboration with the AWCI and AfWCCI. Examples included:• NASA’s Applied Sciences Program (ASP).
• NOAA’s Collaboration Opportunities for the Application of Earth Observations from Space in Water
Activities; flashflood guidance systems and supports GEONETCast as a means of disseminating
environmental datasets and information for regions of the world lacking internet.
• JAXA’s Satellite Monitoring for Environmental Studies (JASMES) and Space Application For
Environment (SAFE) programs.
• The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) online catalogue for search, visualization andordering of EO data and information for the water cycle.
1World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

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The GEOSS Water Strategy Report (produced by the Integrated Global Water Cycle Observations[IGWCO] Community of Practice).
The GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) and Discovery and Access Broker (DAB).
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) “JRA-55” reanalysis of global atmospheric and water cycle
variables.
The International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) Integrated Flood Analysis
System (IFAS).
The Global Energy and Water Exchanges Project (GEWEX) Regional Hydroclimate Projects (RHPs).
The Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) Groundwater Assessment
Platform (GAP).

Discussion for Implementation Planning
Main points with respect to the best way to advance the goals of the AWCI and AfWCCI:• Project Design Matrix (PDM) proposals should be aligned with national priorities (e.g. food security,
flood management), and obtain the support of the government to have a chance of success; consortia
must be developed before approaching ODAs.
• To ensure commitment and sustainability, and attainment of a critical mass in terms of human resources
to be successful, projects must go through “mandatory” institutions, at the national level.
• Different national departments and/or ministries follow climate change and impacts, making
coordination among them difficult. Also, since funding agencies have their own sets of criteria andinterests; it is not possible to generalize a process for funding.
• It is important to get national institutions commitments to collect in-situ data, since government support
is essential for rehabilitation of networks. In the WMO’s World Hydrological Cycle Observing System(WHYCOS), the plan has been to obtain signed MOUs with participating countries to commit tosupplying data. In addition, the MOUs, wherever possible, have indicated that improving networks
should be included as part of the package.
• PDM focus should be on Earth observations (EOs), emphasizing that new technology will help combat
deficiencies of in-situ networks, and will be aligned with responding to climate change.
• Climate change is the appropriate framework for collaboration; important to start with a more global
perspective, what is happening on the large scale, and then examine impacts at the local scale.
• Frameworks already exist in Africa; establishing links with international research organizations shouldbe the first phase of any project to help local research institutions.
• An exchange between space agencies and ODAs would be very useful, for advancing mutual
understanding and perspectives.
• International cooperation is essential to achieving SDGs, and working together on applications anddemonstrating how to apply new technology to solve real problems in the river basins would go a longways towards boosting cooperation.
• A 2-pronged approach might be helpful: at a higher level, showing how the PDMs address the SDGs,
and at a lower lever, providing concrete examples of can be accomplished.
• Important to sensitize governments and administrations of the issues being addressed.
• From a technological perspective, a main issue is how to effectively engage additional researchers infinding solutions. Any viable solutions need to make use of technologies that are locally possible andfeasible.
• There are still instances where governments and departments sequester data and will not share them, andthe data sharing principals of GEOSS need to be reinforced.
• Reliance on national research institutions is key for any long-term strategies in resolving water
management issues.
• A basic need is the capability for users to communicate efficiently with servers containing data. Making
use of smartphones as a tool should be explored, and applications developed using open standards.
• Specific fora should be created whereby members within a given basin can communicate and collaborate
as they seek to address the problems they are trying to solve within that basin.
• Universities can contribute to issues of infrastructure in the areas of: 1) capacity building and training;and 2) research into the scientific information needed for water and food security, and water and energy•security, as both water and economic prosperity are very important to national policies. Universities canalso play a role in dissemination comprehensive knowledge.
Connect with the private sector through the provision of river basin data so that applications may be
developed, (e.g. smartphone), with data exchange arranged as a stimulus.

Towards Implementation
General comments:• PDMs need to be packaged in terms of comprehensive projects with all necessary elements, budgets, andimplementation strategies in such a way that there is something concrete to share with donors.
• Scientific aspect and operational aspects of the PDMs need to be considered to provide tools for decision
makers (identify key partners at scientific, research institution, and operational agency levels, for eachbasin).
• Differentiate the needs of basins and donors, and match accordingly (from among several agencies).
• Encourage discussion with stake-holders, especially with governments (primary stake-holders forscientists).
• Foster regional cooperation to help exchange best-practices and promote the transition from science tooperational phases, and assist in knowledge sharing and global collaboration.
• Leverage existing capacities and planned assets and resources, making use of appropriate national andinternational policies and institutional arrangements.
• Encourage closer cooperation with global water-related UN initiatives, such as UN-Water and the Global
Water System Project (GWSP).
• Focus on SDGs and providing a means to monitor progress towards them is key, since SDGs areimportant to the international community. It is possible to achieve water security and disaster risk
reduction in all countries world wide, and thus water issues should take center stage in SDG discussions.
Africa:• Put in place a core networking platform, perhaps under AfriGEOSS, to strengthen coordination, engage
other initiatives, and bring together relevant stakeholders, institutions and agencies across Africa that areinvolved in GEO and other Earth observation activities (e.g. SERVIR, AMESD, TIGER).
• Identify challenges, gaps and opportunities for African contributions to GEO and GEOSS.
• Make stronger linkage with African Union Commission, through initiatives such as Monitoring ofEnvironment and Security (MESA).
• Set up a dialogue with the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) to obtain buy-in frommember states and governments, to give the AfWCCI the political umbrella needed to move forwardwith activities.
• Key message: River Basin Authorities (in cooperation with individual basin member countries) shouldtake ownership of PDMs and responsibility for their implementation.
Next steps:• Another round of compilation of the PDMs after tuning and revising by adding overall vision and scope,and regional strategies.
• PDMs circulated as widely as possible in order to raise awareness, and interact with possible
collaborators and supporters.
• Demonstrate unique niche projects fill while supporting other initiatives through value-added outputs,
and thus move towards fulfilling high-level goals such as the SDGs.
• Orient proposals towards national governments where ministries of foreign affairs could takeresponsibility to move the proposals forward and support submission to donors such as JICA and AfDB.
• Entities such as GEO, UNU and others can be used as a platform to negotiate with donors for each PDM.
• Communicate with embassies, which can be an effective way to promote support for the PDMs.
• Sharing research and operational experiences and joint capacity building programmes by means of largescale and high-level global, international frameworks, in order to foster collaboration and raise visibility.