Waterwise

Co-designing sustainable management solutions for resilient Alpine headwaters

Motivation

Alpine headwaters are of crucial importance for water supply and the provision of numerous ecosystem services, including biodiversity, flood protection and irrigation. However, in recent years, however, these sensitive areas have come under increasing pressure due to climate change and intensive human use.

Rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns are leading to significant changes in water availability and water quality. These developments not only threaten Alpine nature, but also jeopardize the livelihoods of many people in the region. At the same time, local stakeholders often lack the tools and data needed to effectively address these challenges.

The WATERWISE project bridges this gap by connecting science, technology and practice. The goal is to develop robust strategies to ensure the protection and sustainable management of alpine headwaters.

Project team taking measurements in the river

Main goals

The project pursues the following key objectives:

Providing scientifically sound data and models to evaluate the vulnerability of alpine headwaters to climate and land use changes.
Developing an open-source toolbox for analyzing and visualizing hydrological and ecological data.
Establishing participatory approaches to involve communities, authorities and political actors in the development of sustainable strategies.
Raising public awareness about the importance of alpine headwaters through educational programs, creative communication and outreach events.

Methods

1. Sensor systems and Crowdsourcing

To collect hydrological data, the project utilizes low-cost sensor systems. This approach is complemented by crowdsourcing methods, involving local stakeholders and the public in data collection.

2. Digital Toolbox

Development of a web-based user-friendly toolbox to analyze and visualize hydrological and climatic data, enabling the assessment of the vulnerability of alpine headwaters and deriving corresponding recommendations for local water management.

3. Pilot Sites

The toolbox is tested and developed at seven pilot sites. Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences coordinates the work at the Partnach site (Zugspitze) and supports strategic development in collaboration with the University of Passau.

4. Education and Public Outreach

Educational materials and workshops empower local stakeholders to independently use the toolbox and sensor systems. This is complemented by creative public outreach to raise awareness of the importance of Alpine headwaters.

5. Cooperation and Exchange

Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences works closely with local partners such as the Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus, Bavarian water authorities and nature conservation organizations.