Remote sensing agriculture drought monitoring methods and Small water rentention measures by János Fehér

Drought demonstration projects: Remote sensing agriculture drought monitoring methods and Small water retention measures Dr. János Fehér Hon. Associate Professor University of Debrecen and GWP Hungary

National Consultation Drought Dialogue - Pristina, Kosovo, 12 November 2014. 1

Drought demonstration project - 1

Small water retention measures


Natural water retention vs. Small water retention

• Natural water retention – Permanent or temporary water bodies and measures that enable water retention on site (of its origin)

– Natural appearance enabling diverse ecosystem services (not only water retention)

– Activities focusing on prolongation of the water cycle by increasing the capacity to retain rainwater (slow drain), stop pollution and reducing energy losses of water and sediment movement.

• Small water retention means not only the retention of surface water with water

or damming up watercourses, but also agricultural practices, phyto land improvement and afforestation to increase the retention of soil, regulation of rivers such as changes in cross-section troughs and longitudinal slope and the use of natural floodplains and landscape depressions.


• Main objective is to address nature and landscape values and co- operation with the stakeholders (especially farmers) in order to regard flooding not only as a threat but also as an opportunity for broad rural development, nature restoration, recreation, “enrichment” of the habitat and (last but not least) for a new approach to water.

• Measures include both - small scale hydraulic structures - non-technical activities reforestation

restoration of wetlands re-meandering of rivers and

soil structure improvement.

Objectives


Case studies summarize experiences from already implemented projects in Poland, Slovakia Hungary, and Slovenia. Based upon critical analysis, tools for systematic application of non-traditional measures are developed. These include: - the use of GIS tools for optimization of a system of small water retention measures in the landscape. - systems and methods for water retention in rural areas

Recommendations for - legislation - integration of these measures into national flood and drought protection plans - financing and - role of local communities in application of these measures.

Outputs


Case studies from Slovenia 1. Restoration of Alpine stream in order to increase water retention capacity • Conceptual design for hydropower plant 2. Restoration of degraded river due to combined sewer overflow • Conceptual design for municipality 3. Retention and treatment of storm water at industrial site • Implemented project, private owner 4. Retention and treatment of agricultural runoff • Research project

Case studies from Poland 5. Small water retention in forest area - Pisa Forest 6. Small water retention in national parks - Białowieża National Park 7. The programme of „Small Retention in Forest” 8. Piskurka reservoir

Case studies from Hungary 9. Making space for water - a Bodrog River case study 10. Complex water retention action programme at the Nagyszéksós Lake water system 11. Marsh protection in Egyek–Pusztakócs area 12. Water infrastructure including small water retention supporting land and water management - Cigánd flood mitigation reservoir.

Case studies (non-exhaustive list)


Systems and methods for water retention in rural areas

Water resources Systems and methods

Landscape (habitats) retention

Systems shaping the proper structure of land use • Structure of arable lands, grasslands, forests, „ecological lands”,

constructed wetlands • Afforestation, development of buffer zones, clusters of bushes,

woodlands, development of bruises and terraces • Increase of the area of wetlands, peat bogs and restoration of the area

Soil retention Cultivation systems shaping water retention in soil profile

• Improvement of soil structure, limiting of drainage, liming, proper agrotechnology, increase of content of organic matter in soil

Soil and ground water

Drainage – cultivation systems limiting surface runoff • Increase of soil permeability • Anti-erosion measures, phyto drainage, agro drainage • Regulated outflow from the drainage system • Ponds and infiltration wells (also for outflow of rainwater from sealed surfaces)

Surface water

Hydrotechnical systems of water distribution and storage • Small water reservoirs • Regulated outflow from ponds and small water reservoirs • Water storage in drainage ditches, channels etc. • Retention of outflow from drainage systems • Increase of river valley retention


Case study

Water infrastructure including small water retention supporting land and water management

The Cigánd flood mitigation reservoir


Year

Flo

od

le

vel

(cm

)


10

Historical responsesHistorical responses


Current response

„Renewal of Vásárhelyi Plan” – Provide protection against 1:100 year floods

– Reduce the level of 1:1000 year flood by about 1 m

– Provide opportunities to nature development and land use

change


Feasible interventions on the open flood plain for reducing flood levels

Open flood plain

Main river bed Side branch

1. Relocation of flood levees, increase of open flood

plain

2. Heighten flood levees

3. Reducing flood plain elevation by dredging

4. Feasible transformation of river regulation works

5. Deepening of the main river bed by dredging

6. Dredging of river branches

7. Removal of buildings, other constructed

structures

8. Change of land use

9. Removal of summer dikes from open flood plain

10. Construction of flood peak mitigation reservoir

12 National Consultation Drought Dialogue - Pristina, Kosovo, 12 November 2014. 12

13

Legend

Planned reservoirs

Existing reservoirs


14

The first six reservoirs to be completed in 1st phase of Vásárhelyi Plan


Drought formation in 2003

PAI (°C/100 mm)

serious drought

average drought

moderate drought

extr

aord

inar

y d

rou

ght


Cigánd-Tiszakarád

Flood Peak

Mitigation

Reservoir

25 km2


Cigánd-Tiszakarád

Flood Peak Mitigation

Reservoir

25 km2


• The current system is kept for each element

• Flexible, adaptable to the needs in better way

• Phased implementation is possible (adapting to tender opportunities)

• It should help the drainage and water retention

• Increase the use of the river water with the intake opportunity

• It should comply with all kinds of farmers' water demand expectation (storage, fishing, flooding, wetland,

arable, grassland)

• The farmers could utilize the support aids in an optimal way.



Drought demonstration project - 2

Remote sensing agriculture drought monitoring methods


Background


• To develop a process, which can provide information for estimating relevant drought indexes and drought related agricultural yield losses more effectively from remote sensed spectral data.

• New calculation method, which provides early information on physical implementation of drought risk levels

Objectives


Central Europe - Carpathian Basin - Lowland part of the

Tisza River Basin


Study area

NDVI Time Series

Land use mask

Calibration with yield statistical

data

Meteorological Data

Calibration with Drought Index

Soil Physical

Data

Calibration with available water

content

SDSS

Classification

Plant Specific Drought Risk Evaluation

(1 – 5 risk levels)


Five major steps were carried out for the MODIS(1) NDVI(2) calibration: 1. Re-projection of MODIS data

2. Mask building for data extraction (arable lands, plain area by counties)

3. Extraction of MODIS NDVI time series by masks (Maize: 0-0.35 NDVI,

Wheat: 0.35 – 1 NDVI)

4. Acquiring data matrix from NDVI images (mean values from every extracted NDVI images)

5. Normalization of extracted NDVI data matrix and yield data (1) MODIS - Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

(2) NDVI - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

Data acquisition and processing


ArcGIS model for creating mask and extraction of wheat and maize sites


Data acquisition and processing

(Source: KSH and INSSE)

Green: optimal

(wet) years

Red: drought

affected

years

Blue: extreme

precipitation

Normalized yield of maize and wheat (2000-2012)

Identification and calibration of drought risk level


05 05 05 05 05

Dry

year

Wet

year

MODIS NDVI values for arable land in Békés County, Hungary (June –

September)



Reference spectral curves were generated in order to determine the Watch,

Early warning, Warning, Alert and Catastrophe levels of NDVI

Watch: When plant water stress is observed in sensitive phenological phases.

Early Warning: When relevant plant water stress is observed. The available soil moisture is close to critical, and it is suggested for farmers to start preparation of intervention. Predicted potential yield loss is up to 10%.

Warning: When plant stress translates into significant biomass damage, and there is time to start the intervention actions. Potential yield loss is up to 20%.

Alert: When farmers expect irreversible vegetation damage with real negative profit, and they have to consider to give up additional cultivation actions in crop production in that actual vegetation period. Potential yield loss is up to 30%.

Catastrophe: When serious damages and profit loss mitigation is necessary. Potential yield loss is up to 40%.



Drought risk and signalling NDVI levels for maize and wheat



2003 (drought affected year) 2008 (optimal year)

Risk levels Tisza catchment

Hungarian part of T.c.

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok

Hajdú-Bihar

Tisza catchment

Hungarian part of T.c.

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok

Hajdú-Bihar

Wheat (area %)

Catastrophe 38.44 45.38 59.08 34.80 11.99 13.42 15.73 4.77

Alert 8.25 8.27 7.84 7.70 5.05 5.23 5.40 3.30

Warning 8.29 7.96 6.99 8.03 0.45 4.41 4.62 3.04 Early Warning

10.59 9.75 7.50 10.69 8.30 8.09 8.75 6.13

Watch 7.18 6.42 4.51 7.82 10.14 9.69 10.57 9.06

No yield loss 27.25 22.22 14.07 30.96 64.07 59.15 54.92 73.70

Maize (area %)

Catastrophe 51.77 51.86 66.06 20.92 24.54 19.85 21.24 10.74

Alert 2.94 8.06 2.11 1.80 2.78 1.90 2.15 1.27

Warning 8.93 8.11 6.62 7.03 9.92 6.87 6.92 4.97 Early Warning

8.93 7.83 6.46 8.92 11.90 8.83 9.73 6.77

Watch 8.38 2.51 5.99 10.18 12.46 10.61 11.52 9.54

No yield loss 19.05 21.63 12.76 51.16 38.39 51.94 48.44 66.70

Percentage of affected areas with different drought risks for wheat and maize

(100% is the total area of investigated region)

Drought risk evaluation and mapping


2008


Drought risk evaluation and mapping

Thank you for your attention

and your work to save our

Planet for the next

generation!


Remote sensing agriculture drought monitoring methods and Small water rentention measures by János Fehér

Environment