The beginnings of WATER4CAST

Towards an integrated forecasting of water and the environment

The project WATER4CAST (Integrated Forecasting System for Water and the Environment) was born with a clear mission: to anticipate the effects of climate change on water management in the Comunitat Valenciana. Its initial impulse was made possible thanks to the PROMETEO program for Excellence Groups of the Generalitat Valenciana with code PROMETEO2021/074, which funded the first stage of the project between January 2021 and December 2023.

During these three key years, the foundations were laid for what today is the first functional version of the system. An interactive web platform was developed, designed for both the general public and technical managers. Through workshops, surveys and meetings with key users, a system aligned with the real needs of the territory was built. At the same time, close collaboration was carried out with a company specialized in technological solutions to develop the digital architecture that would make it possible to integrate scientific models with an intuitive and accessible interface.

The heart of the project is its innovative integrated real-time forecasting system.

For the first time, meteorological, ecohydrological, agronomic, fish habitat and water resources forecasting models are integrated into a single platform that not only predicts, but also estimates the associated uncertainty.

This enables a more robust decision-making process with greater anticipation capacity.

The system is divided into two complementary parts:

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A GIS-based public web platform, which provides accessible forecasts through indicators and threshold values.

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An advanced tool for watershed managers, acting as an early warning system for extreme events such as droughts, heatwaves, or impacts on crops and aquatic ecosystems. This interactive capability transforms the way water management is planned and responded to in the context of climate change.

Why was this project born?

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The Mediterranean region, and particularly the Comunitat Valenciana, is on the front line of climate change: less rainfall, higher temperatures, increased evapotranspiration, and more intense and frequent droughts. Agriculture and ecosystems, essential pillars of the territory, are at risk. In this context, managing water efficiently, proactively, and based on science is no longer an option: it is an urgent necessity.

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Thanks to the initial PROMETEO funding, the coordinated work of researchers, technicians, users and developers, and the commitment to the territory, today we can present this first version of WATER4CAST.

Our team

Manuel Pulido Velazquez

Félix Ramón Francés

Dariana Avila Velasquez

Héctor Macián Sorribes

Alberto García Prats

Marta García Molla

Juan Manuel Carricondo

Carlos Echeverría

Iván Lagos

Miguel Ángel Jiménez Bello

Adrià Rubio Martin

Francisco Martínez Capel

Fernando Martínez Alzamora

Juan Manzano Juárez

Edgar Belda Ibáñez

Empresa WaterPi

Néstor Lerma Elvira

Empresa WaterPi

Manuel Pulido Velazquez

Félix Ramón Francés

Dariana Avila Velasquez

Héctor Macián Sorribes

Alberto García Prats

Marta García Molla

Juan Manuel Carricondo

Carlos Echeverría

Iván Lagos

Miguel Ángel Jiménez Bello

Adrià Rubio Martin

Francisco Martínez Capel

Fernando Martínez Alzamora

Juan Manzano Juárez

Edgar Belda Ibáñez

Empresa WaterPi

Néstor Lerma Elvira

Empresa WaterPi

Senior researchers

Manuel Pulido Velázquez → Project IP
Félix Ramón Francés → Co-IP of the project
Marta García Molla → Social area support
Juan Manuel Carricondo → Application of agronomic forecasts
Miguel Ángel Jiménez Bello → Support in agronomic forecasts
Francisco Martínez Capel → Application of agronomic forecasts
Alberto García Prats → Support in agronomic forecasts
Juan Manzano Juárez → Support in agronomic forecasts
Fernando Martínez Alzamora → Support in web server management

Junior researchers

Héctor Macián Sorribes → Coordination and development of the project, platform, and meteorological forecasts at seasonal and sub-seasonal scales
Dariana Isamel Avila Velasquez → Coordination and development of the project, platform and short-term meteorological forecasts
Carlos Antonio Echeverría → Application of hydrological forecasts
Iván Gerardo Lagos → Application of the water management model
Adrià Rubio Martin → Economic management of the project
Edgar Belda Ibáñez → WaterPi company, platform design
Néstor Lerma Elvira → WaterPi company, platform design

Project funded by:

The project Enhanced Integrated Multiscale Forecasting System for Agriculture, Water and the Environment (WATER4CAST 2.0) has been funded by the Programa para la promoción de la investigación científica, el desarrollo tecnológico y la innovación en la Comunitat Valenciana para grupos de investigación de excelencia, PROMETEO 2024 - CIPROM/2023/000, from the Conselleria de Educación, Cultura, Universidades y Empleo. Generatitat Valenciana.

Project coordination by:

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