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Application and Development of Isotope Techniques to Evaluate Human Impacts on Water Balance and Nutrient Dynamics of Large River Basins
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
F33021CRP
2064Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
3 September 2018Description
This CRP will focus on assessing our understanding of the hydrology of large river basins by applying water isotopes and additional geochemical and isotope parameters as means to constrain water balance and nutrient dynamics in large river basins. Environmental and anthropogenic land-use changes at basin-scales have dramatically altered the dynamics of the world’s largest rivers and have adversely impacted water quantity as well as quality. The CRP was formulated based on the conclusions and recommendations of a Consultant Meeting in November 2012 and will improve the expertise among Member States in the use of environmental isotopes. Furthermore, it will increase our understanding of the relationship between hydrological and biogeochemical processes in large river basins. The aim of the CRP is to target 50+ of the largest rivers of the world, in order to obtain an improved and quantitative understanding of how human impacts directly influence the water quality of our river and surface water systems, and to enhance and improve the IAEA Global Network of Isotopes in Rivers (GNIR).
Objectives
To improve the capability and expertise among Member States in the use of environmental isotopes in order to better asses hydrological and biogeochemical processes in large river basins.
Specific objectives
Review and assess the use of water isotopes to evaluate the sources of water, hydrological processes and water balance of large rivers
Review and assess the application of existing as well as new sampling and analytical methods of geochemical and isotope parameters in order to evaluate nutrient and sediment dynamics in large river basins
Improve the understanding and assessment of human and environmental impacts on water balance, nutrient cycling and sediment transport in large river basins
Improve the interpretation of the relationship between hydrological and biogeochemical processes in large river basins
Impact
International joint projects initiated by this CRP:
1)NNSFC-ANR joint project on "Sediments in the largest rivers of China: Messengers from geological processes and Environmental Changes (2016-2018) " initiated. Prof. Jérôme Gaillardet, of France, and Dr. Hu Ding, of China, who were involved in this CRP.
2) NSFC-ICMOD Co-ordinate project on "Study on the water quality and its’ controlling mechanism in Yarlung Tsangpo-Brahmaputra River basin: a multi isotope approach (2017-2019)" were initiated. Dr. Ananta P. GAJUREL of Nepal and Dr. Hu Ding of China. The project materialized on the basis of the co-operation between Anata and Hu Ding during this CRP.
Relevance
The CRP demonstrated the importance of isotope methods applied to river studies at regional and global scales. Common approaches and isotopic tools were readily identified and effectively applied, including stable isotopes to evaluate water sources and quantify hydrologic processes at large basin scales. Over 20 publications in the peer review literature were produced by the CRP participants. A few papers were among the first to look at nutrient isotopes in rivers related to water pollution. The data results of these works were tabulated in the IAEA WISER database for others to utilize. Furthermore, based on the recommendations of this CPR, a new CRP focused primarily on river nutrient N isotopes and water pollution is currently in progress.