Earth Observation to investigate the characteristics and changes of the cryosphere in High Mountain Asia

Dragon 4 EOWAQYWET built up on fruitful former Dragon2-3, is part of an integrated response to the Call Theme Hydrology & Cryosphere, being associated with "Cryosphere monitoring, snow, ice, glaciers & parameters" and " Multi – source hydrological data products to monitor High Asian River Basins and regional water security" projects leaded by M. Mementi and X. LI ; T. Bolch and T. YAO. EOWAQYWET consists in two sub projects WaRYWeBio, as "Water resource behaviours in Yangtze intermediate basin and wetlands' biodoversity and BioGeoLakes, for the “New Earth Observation tools for biogeochemical studies of Yangtze lakes”.
Yangtze intermediate watershed contents 25% of the water resource in SE Asia, with 40% related to
Poyang and Dongting Lakes. Yangtze wetlands and lakes, biodiversity jewels, deliver important ecosystem services such as flood regulation, water supply, and purification, food, recreational opportunities and climate regulation. Rapid changes the Yangtze Valley in terms of land use, demographics and economic conditions caused degradation and loss of wetlands as well as water eutrophication and pollution. The national and international community is called upon to provide novel monitoring and analysis tools for a more integrated and extensive management of these important resources.

Objectives:
• Improve knowledge on water resource behaviours and water quality at lakes and intermediate Yangtze watershed scales
• Analyse the wetlands’ dynamics in order to have better understanding of the abundance of migratory wildfowl in relation to changes in Yangtze wetlands
• Development of EO based products to support improved decision making
• Qualify/quantify impact of meteorological, climatic and entropic parameters within a climate change context on water resources and quality