PosterPDF Available

Assessment of stakeholders' perceptions of satellite based assessment of Cyanobacteria blooms, as a decision support system towards improvement of water management in Romania

Authors:
  • John Wesley Theological College
  • research and education
  • Brockmann Geomatics Sweden AB

Abstract

Over the past years, there has been significant progress in the field of water quality monitoring that has also introduced new challenges. First and foremost, there is an ongoing development in satellite-based retrieval techniques, accompanied by technological development of the equipment deployed in situ to monitor chlorophyll and cyanobacteria. To design and adopt potential adaptation and mitigation strategies for the future, analyses of the current monitoring system that is implemented in Romania are necessary in order to look into the current status of the stakeholders’ perception of algal blooms and to promote integration of satellite-based monitoring of cyanobacteria into the existing water monitoring program. The present work aims to assess the overall cost of the in situ water quality monitoring programs in Romania with particular focus on algal and cyanobacteria blooms, and evaluate if and how the local/national authorities involved in water quality monitoring are open to potential integration of satellite-based assessments into their programs. A number of challenges were considered, as follows: the level of understanding of such a service; the level of satisfaction and willingness to change existing work protocols; the financial capacity of the authorities responsible for water quality monitoring activities to pay for the costs of such an implementation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data collection was carried out based on the following 20 questions:
Q1. Are you involved in water quality monitoring activities?
Q2. Does the monitoring program include bathing areas?
Q3. If you have economic activities (fishing, aquaculture) have you encountered
problems (mortality) due to the massive development of algae?
Q4. Are you satisfied with the structure of the current monitoring program?
Q5. Is algal biomass (phytoplankton) in your opinion an important parameter of water
quality assessment?
Q6. How do you estimate the cost of performing the assessment of algal biomass
(phytoplankton) analysis?
Q7. Is estimation of chl-a concentrations a relevant and important proxy for total
biomass, with respect to your monitoring needs?
Q8. Does the institution you represent / operate with equipment / sites / specialized
applications in the rapid prognosis of algal blooms or accidental pollution?
Q9. Have you heard of the satellite assessment of algal blooms?
Q10. What are the benefits of using this assessment (from satellites), in your opinion?
Q11. Do you consider it necessary/useful to include such an assessment in the current
monitoring protocol?
Q12. Do you consider that such a service/product would increase the accuracy and/or
value of your field assessments?
Q13. Do you think such a service/product could complement your field assessments?
Q14. Which of the following service would your institution be interested in receiving:
data files for own interpretation and combination with other information or data
processing ; information provided via public web pages; interpreted results such as
reporting and analytics; auditing and environmental certification; data layers for
webGIS?
Q15. Which delivery channel do you believe would be required by your institute for the
CyanoAlert service: web portal; mobile app; online databases; API; tailored information
via email?
Q16. Which of the following products would be most useful to you and your institute:
chl-a concentration estimates; cyanobacteria presence alerts; floating vegetation alerts;
weekly/monthly updates; forecasts?
Q17. Which additional water quality parameters would be of interest for you:
suspended matter; coloured dissolved organic matter; turbidity; Secchi Disk Depth; lake
water surface temperature?
Q18. What is the budget currently allocated by your institute for water quality
monitoring (in specific chl-a and cyanobacteria)?
Q19. Would you include in the institution's budget the purchase of such a system?
Q20. What language would your institute need the CyanoAlert service delivered in?
The survey was carried out during 01.01.-31.03.2019. In the survey have been involved
the following category of stakeholders: regional (R) water management authority;
research institutions and universities (RI&U), NGO and private companies (Others).
ASSESSMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SATELLITE-BASED
ASSESSMENT OF CYANOBACTERIA BLOOMS, AS A DECISION SUPPORT
SYSTEM TOWARDS IMPROVEMENT OF WATER MANAGEMENT IN ROMANIA
Török Liliana1,*, Török Zsolt1, Philipson Petra2, Politi Eirini3
1*Danube Delta National Institute for Research of Development, Babadag Street no. 165, Tulcea, Romania
2Brockmann Geomatics Sweden AB, Torshamnsgatan 39 SE-164 40 Kista, Sweden
3Odermatt & Brockmann GmbH, Stampfenbachstrasse 57 CH-8006 Züruch, Switzerland
*Corresponding author email: torokliliana@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Keywords: CyanoAlert, satellite-based assessment, stakeholders
Over the past years, there has been significant progress in the field of water quality monitoring that has also introduced new challenges. First and foremost, there is an ongoing
development in satellite-based retrieval techniques, accompanied by technological development of the equipment deployed in situ to monitor chlorophyll and cyanobacteria. To
design and adopt potential adaptation and mitigation strategies for the future, analyses of the current monitoring system that is implemented in Romania are necessary in order to
look into the current status of the stakeholders’ perception of algal blooms and to promote integration of satellite-based monitoring of cyanobacteria into the existing water
monitoring program. The present work aims to assess the overall cost of the in situ water quality monitoring programs in Romania with particular focus on algal and
cyanobacteria blooms, and evaluate if and how the local/national authorities involved in water quality monitoring are open to potential integration of satellite-based assessments
into their programs. A number of challenges were considered, as follows: the level of understanding of such a service; the level of satisfaction and willingness to change existing
work protocols; the financial capacity of the authorities responsible for water quality monitoring activities to pay for the costs of such an implementation.
RESULUTS
CONCLUSIONS From the evaluation of the stakeholder attitude on satellite assessment of water quality, have been identify the following characteristics: the lack of
knowledge regarding the benefits of the satellite based assessment of cyanobacteria blooms; low form of engagement in case of water management authorities, in this case the
adopted strategy was not able to reach the target audience; high degree of consensus regarding the benefits and an open-end channel of communication and negotiation.
Acknowledgement
The results of the investigation are made under the umbrella of the project CyanoAlert (Grant Agreement number: 730141) funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020.
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SUSTAINABLE WATER ECOSYSTEMS
MANAGEMENT
The most appreciate deliverable
channels in case of regional water
management authority (Fig.3)
interpreted results such as
reporting and analytics (status,
trends and changes) (47.36%) and
were data files for own
interpretation & combination with
other information or data
processing (39.13%). Of the total number of questionnaires
submitted during the investigation, only
23.8% of the questionnaires sent to the
Regional Water Management Authority
were returned
Fig. 4. show relatively low interest in
satellite services regarding
cyanobacteria presence alerts about
36% of the respondents from regional
water management authority compared
to research institutions and universities
(52%).
Fig.3
Fig.4
To the Yes-No questions
(Fig.1) the respondents gave
the affirmative response in case
of Q3, Q18 between 1-25%;
between 25-50% (Q8, Q4, Q2);
50-75% (Q19, Q10, Q9, Q12,
Q1); between 75 -100% ( Q5,
Q7, Q11 and Q 13).
In case of Q6 related to the cost
for the assessment of algal
biomass few of the respondents
consider that the cost are high
(Fig.2)
In case of Q20 the respondents
choose the language for
CyanoAlert services, English.
Fig.1
Fig.2
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