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Table of Contents
SILMAS
Sustainable Instruments for Lakes Management in the Alpine Space
- AS priority area: Environment and Risk Prevention
- Duration: 01/09/2009 - 31/08/2012
- Project webpage no longer accessible
Project Partners
- Lead Partner: Région Rhône-Alpes (Rhône Alpes Regional Authority) (FR)
Project summary
“Natural and artificial lakes are a main characteristic of the Alpine Space and belong, with their catchment areas, to the European heritage. During the last decades, authorities in charge of lakes management worked to preserve and restore this heritage and its natural resources. They now have to anticipate climate change impacts. SILMAS, by exchanging good practices and testing new methods, will supply its 15 partners with efficient tools for reaching goals of the framework directives (Water and Natura 2000) and the Alpine Convention:
- creation of a virtual laboratory, to define current ecological state of the lakes and anticipate changes due to climatic and biological dynamics,
- assessment of existing governance tools dealing with regulation of land/resources and conflicts solving, then testing decision-making instruments in different lakes sites,
- production of information and education tools for sustainable lakes management and uses, dedicated to decision makers, stakeholders and the young public.”
Source: SILMAS project summary
Hypotheses
Keywords
Topics
Results
Results of a project can be differentiated in outputs, outcomes and impacts of an intervention. Source:OECD Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management.
Outputs
| Output | Category | Language(s) | Target group | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate driven scenarios (air temperature, precipitation), Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 1), pg. 44ff | methodology/data | EN | Scientists | n/a |
| Model ecosystem for small mesotrophic and eutrophic sub-alpine lakes (nutrient, phytoplankton, zooplankton etc.), Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 1), pg. 51ff | methodology/data | EN | Scientists | n/a |
| Hydrodynamic climate impact lake simulation study (HCILS), Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 1), pg. 79ff | methodology | EN | Scientists | The model, which has been developed in the Netherlands, has been adapted to Alpine conditions and tested in three Alpine pilot sites: Lake Constance, Wörthersee, Lago di Viverone. |
| Climate scenarios for study sites Lake Constance, Wörthersee, Lago di Viverone , Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 1), pg. 87ff | data | EN | Scientists | Small variations in the climate conditions have remarkable effects. The results of HCILS can be used to assess a lake actual state, and they show what can be expected in the future. The water balance and residence time in alpine lakes are very sensitive to changes in air temperature and precipitation. A temperature increase of 1.4 °C until 2050 produces reductions in lake water renewal of 12 to 23 % of the annual mean (summer change is much higher with partly > 81 %. The superposition with only small decreases in precipitation (5 %) produces important reductions of lake water renewal up to more than 40 % annual mean, summer change is even higher with partly > 117 %). Land use changes (p.e. reforestation) can increase significantly these water losses (future research demand). Consequently the fill up time and mean residence time of lake water are increasing. Small lakes with small catchment areas are more sensitive to climate change. The mean residence time of lake water is not in accordance with the water renewal (or fill up) time of lakes. Its work of the limnologists to interpret the impact of these changes on the ecological and quality conditions of lakes. |
| Hydrological water balance modelling, Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 2), pg. 117ff | data | EN | Scientists | Time intervals for theoretical exchange of water volumes (fill up time) increases. For study lakes, it ranges from 2.2 years to 20 years. |
| Investigation of lake circulation and residence time of deep lake water using environmental isotopes, Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 2), pg. 141ff | data | EN | Scientists | Lake ciruclation and residence time are increasing under the conditions of climate change. |
| Identification of climate change indicators in regard to Alpine lake monitoring, Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 2), pg. 173ff | methodology | EN | Scientists | n/a |
| Adaptation and mitigation options for Alpine lakes (sectors agriculture, fishing, forestry, urban development, power generation, recreation and tourism, navigation), Climate Change Recommendations from SILMAS | policy recommendations | EN, IT, FR | Planner | Spatially relevant processes and mitigation measures in a brief booklet: e.g. agriculture (higher precipitation ⇒ need for irrigation, more intense events ⇒ soil conservation, protection of water courses), urban development (adaption of sewage to extreme events and algae, infrastructural adaptations), recreation/tourism (heavier use of shore zones ⇒ water contamination counter-measures, access to water in low-level times) |
| Alpine Lakes Database , Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Lakes (Part 2), pg. 179ff | policy recommendations | EN, IT, FR | Planner | “Environmental database (morphologic information,residence time, trophic state…) with the following tools: Basemaps to identify the position of the lake in the Alpine Space (possibility to chose between a large variey of basemap), Measure tool (Area, Distance and Location), Share tool (E mail, Facebook and Twitter), drop-down menu to choose the lake. Database is currently not accessible on project website” |
| Guidelines for lake and port management practices , SILMAS Environmental Management of Ports: Alpine Lakes Experiences, pg. 17ff | Guidelines | EN, IT | Policy makers / civil servants / planners | The guidelines address sediment removal management, macrophytes overgrowth management and protection, pollution and invasive species. |
| Toolbox Conflict solving governance , Lake management: conflict solving governance, pg. 17 | Tool | EN, IT | Planner / civil servants | “The term “Toolbox” is used to refer to the digital system (linked to the knowledge map of WP 5 5 ) or documentation (ring-binder or similar) created to classify the means or “tools” used for lake management, by status (document-judicial status, financial, educational etc ), origin (European, national, local), thematic (fishing, ports) etc.The tools are additionally analysed in view of their transferability and capacity. Thematic issues addressed include wareness raising, climate change, Fishery, Lake management, eisure.activities, Navigation, Shore zone, Water level management, Water quality” |
| Knowledge map (SILMAS knowledge management application), Lake management: conflict solving governance, pg. 18 | Map | EN | Planner / civil servants | Map contains all project tools. Link http://silmas.technodat.co.at is not valid. |
| Application of the shorezone functionality index to study lakes, Lake management: conflict solving governance, pg. 18 | Indicator | EN, SI, IT, FR, DE | Scientists | The Shorezone Functionality Index (SFI) is an index that evaluates the capacity of the area located just adjacent the lake shore to accomplish determinate ecological functions, such as the purification of waters coming from the surrounding watershed and their apacity to host aquatic animals. The Index has been developed by ISPRA-(formerly APAT) Working Group, not by the SILMAS project. |
| Macro-regional strategy for an Alpine Space roadmap of the Alpine regions, Lake management: conflict solving governance, Annex 5, pg. 148 | (policy) recommendations | EN | Policy makers | Advantages of an inter-regional analysis and respective sub-objectives in view of a macroregional strategy for the Alps |
Outcomes and Impacts
Unlike project outputs, outcomes and results cannot be described in a standardised way. Therefore, they are listed as free text:
!!!THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES ARE ONLY DUMMIES, THEY NEED TO BE REVIEWED AFTER THE IN-DEPTH-ANALYSIS!!!:
- After SILMAS's project closure, the project partners have formed a board that organises a bi-annual conference on lake management in the Alps link to conference. This conference contributes to creating awareness for lake-management issues particularly in the respective venues and brings together decision-makers from different regions in the Alps
- In the drafting process of the macro-regional strategy for the Alps, the SILMAS demand for an “inter-regional analysis, addressing the functional interactions between the regions with regard to water use, water supply, evacuation of water from urban areas and damage prevention as well as the resources of water from the Alps” has been integrated.
Accessibility of project results
- SILMAS website no longer accessible