Research areas
Water management

• Implementation of the Water Framework Directive
• Integrated water resources management
• Adaptive water management
• Groundwater protection and groundwater management
  

Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) includes river basin management plans and action plans to secure lakes, watercourses, coastal waters and groundwater bodies compliance with the environmental goal of "good (ecological) status" by the year 2015. This includes implementation of the groundwater directive which will focus on groundwater protection and sustainable groundwater exploitation. The groundwater directive addresses the establishment of quality requirements, threshold values as well as determination and regulation of up- or downward trends.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) applies three main goals: economic development, social equity, and environmental sustainability. The three subsidiary goals are weighted differently among catchments, subject to political priority. While the main goal of the EU WFD has been to produce environmental sustainability, developing countries often prioritize economic development and social equity.

Adaptive water management (AWM), like WFD and IWRM, is based on IWRM however, explicit handling the various uncertainties associated with data, models and decision making processes. The keyword in AWM is LEARNING, in part emphasizing the understanding of complex hydrological-technical-economic systems, and in part emphasizing the handling of relationships between stakeholders, authorities and researchers in combined learning efforts.

Groundwater management and integration into IWRM are novel concepts for many developing countries. Department of Hydrology acts as a resource base for Danida and other international bodies on principles, politics and practice for sustainable groundwater exploitation and groundwater management.

The tasks and time schedule for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (Source: modified from European Commission, Water Framework Directive, Common Implementation Strategies, Working Group 2.9, Planning Processes, 2003)

Current projects:

• NeWater ( www.newater.uos.de). New approaches to adaptive water management under uncertainty.
• MERIT ( www.merit-eu.net ). Management of environment and resources using integrated techniques.
• HarmoniCA ( www.harmoni-ca.info ). Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Europe (Concerted Action).
  Integrated management. Integrated water management on a local scale (municipalities). (Contact: Hans Jørgen Henriksen).
• Development of methodology for integrated monitoring of groundwater. Coordination of monitoring, planning, stakeholder involvement and modelling (Contact: Hans Jørgen Henriksen).
• SPLASH ( http://www.splash-era.net/)  European Union Water Initiative Research Area Network (EUWI ERA-net).

Contacts: (CV's are found here)

Hans Jørgen Henriksen
Jens Christian Refsgaard
Peter van der Keur
Lisbeth Flindt Jørgensen
Karen Grothe Villholth
Per Rasmussen
Heidi C. Barlebo
Anker Lajer Højberg

Services:

• FIVA PhD classes with introduction to groundwater resource management ( www.fiva.dk).
• Groundwater modelling for water managers (such as "Basic course in groundwater modelling") targeting water managers and planners in municipalities, regions and regional EPAs)

Scientific publications:

Martinez-Santos, P., Henriksen, H.J., Zorrilla, P., and Mártinez-Alfaro, P.E. 2009. Comparative reflections on use of modelling tools in conflictive water management settings: The Mancha Occidental aquifer. Environmental Modelling and Software: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2008.11.011.

Henriksen, H.J., Refsgaard, J.C., Højberg, A.L., Ferrand, N., Gijsbers, P., and Scholten, H. 2009. Harmonised principles for public participation in quality assurance of integrated water resources modeling (2009). Water Resources Management: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11269-008-9395-9.

Farmani, R., Henriksen, H.J. and Savic, D. 2009. An evolutionary Bayesian belief network methodology for optimum management of groundwater contamination. Environmental Modelling & Software, 24, 303-310: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2008.08.005.

Jørgensen, L.F. and Stockmarr, J. 2009. Groundwater monitoring in Denmark: characteristics, perspectives and comparison with other countries. Hydrogeology Journal, 17, 4, 827-842.

Mukherji, A., K.G. Villholth, B.R. Sharma and J. Wang. 2009. Groundwater Governance in the Indo-Gangetic and Yellow River Basins: Realities and Challenges. Series: IAH - Selected Papers on Hydrogeology, Volume 15. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN 978-0-415-46580-9. Pp. 318.

Sun, R., Y. Liu, Y Qian and K.G. Villholth. 2009. Agricultural groundwater issues in North China: A case study from Zhengzhou municipal area. In: A. Mukherji, K.G. Villholth, B.R. Sharma and J. Wang (Eds.): Groundwater Governance in the Indo-Gangetic and Yellow River Basins: Realities and Challenges. Taylor & Francis Group.

Krishnan, S., A. Islam, D. Machiwal, D.R. Sena and K.G. Villholth. 2009. Using the living wisdom of well drillers to construct digital groundwater data bases across Indo-Gangetic basin. In: A. Mukherji, K.G. Villholth, B.R. Sharma and J. Wang (Eds.): Groundwater Governance in the Indo-Gangetic and Yellow River Basins: Realities and Challenges. Taylor & Francis Group.

Villholth, K.G., Mukherji, A., Sharma, B.R., and J. Wang. 2009. The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River Basins. Paper for the Joint IAHS & IAH International Convention, Hyderabad, India, Sep. 6-12, 2009.

van der Keur, P., Henriksen, H.J., Refsgaard, J.C., Brugnach, M., Pahl-Wostl, P., Dewulf, A., and Buiteveld, H. 2008. Identification of major sources of uncertainty in current IWRM practice. Illustrated for the Rhine Basin. Water Resources Management, 22, 1677-1708: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11269-008-9248-6.

Henriksen, H.J. and Barlebo, H.C. 2008. Reflections on the use of Bayesian belief networks for adaptive management. Journal of Environmental Management, 88, 1025-1036: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.05.009, Jørgensen, L.F., Refsgaard, J.C., and Højberg, A.L. 2008, From science to practice in implementing the European Union's Water Framework Directive. Review of Survey activities 2007, GEUS Bulletin 15 pp. 81-84.

Jørgensen, L.F., Refsgaard, J.C., and Højberg, A.L. 2008, From science to practice in implementing the European Union's Water Framework Directive. Review of Survey activities 2007, GEUS Bulletin 15 pp. 81-84.

Villholth, K.G. 2008. Comprehensive Assessment of Consequences and Options for Agricultural Groundwater Use. In: M. Bhatnagar (Ed.): Groundwater Management: Sustainable Approaches. Icfai University Press, Hyderabad, India, pp 143 - 161.

Villholth, K.G. 2008. Water and ethics in food production and provision - How to ensure water and food security and equity into the 2100 century In: Llamas, R, L. Martínez Cortina, and A. Mukherji (Eds): Water Ethics. Marcelino Botín Water Forum 2007. Taylor and Francis/Balkema, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Henriksen, H.J., Troldborg, L., Højberg, A.L. and Refsgaard, J.C. 2008, Ensemble resource indicators and sustainable exploitation. Journal of Hydrology, 348, 224-240: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.09.056.

Henriksen, H.J., Kjær, J., Brüsch, W., Jacobsen, L.B., Jensen, J.D., Grinderslev, D., and Andersen, P. 2007. Environmental benefits and social costs - an example of combining Bayesian networks and economic models for analysing pesticide management instruments. Nordic Hydrology, 38, 351-371: http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/nh.2007.017.

Henriksen, H.J., Rasmussen, P., Brandt, G., von Bülow, D., and Jensen, F.V. 2007. Environmental Modelling & Software, 22, 1101-1113: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2006.01.008.

Henriksen, H.J., Rasmussen, P., Brandt, G., von Bulow, D., and Jensen, F.V. 2007. Chapter 3 - Bayesian networks as a participatory modeling tool for groundwater protection. Topics on system analysis and integrated water resources management, 49-72: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-008044967-8/50003-8.

Popular articles/reports:

• NeWater - Uncertainty guidelines (synteseprodukt nr. 2). 2009: http://www.newater.info/index.php?pid=1045
• NeWater - Training booklet. 2009 (synteseprodukt nr. 11): http://www.newater.info/index.php?pid=1054
• WISE-RTD. 2009: Webportal with focus on information relevant for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD): http://www.wise-rtd.info/
• Bromley, J. (2005). MERIT guidelines: http://www.merit-eu.net/guidelines