Working Group 1: Waterscapes
Team Leaders: Simon Bell and Mana Taheri (both EMU), Elke Mertens (HS Neubrandenburg, LE:NOTRE Institute) with local experts
Field trip destination: Boat trip on Emajõgi and possible visit to Võrtsjärv limnology centre
Lectures to support the theme:
- From the hydrobiology department about the whole river system
- from Simon Bell on BlueHealth
Workshop: This theme will focus on the role of water through the study of the Emajõgi complete river catchment. It will consider water, blue infrastructure, link with the subject and area of the competition and expand it to a consideration of the river in its entirety. The river starts from the lake of Võrtsjärv, flows through wetlands and flood meadows, through the city and out to Lake Peipsi, passing through significant wetlands at its mouth.
Local challenge: How to maximise the value of the river in relation to the forecasted environmental changes terms of flood management, ecology and human health and wellbeing.
Research questions:
- What might be the evolution in river landscape upstream, through and downstream of the city of Tartu according to forecasted changes in rainfall, snow conditions and urban run-off? How might this affect the economic costs of water management?
- How might use of the river landscape be maximised to promote human health and wellbeing benefits?
- How might the various risks be best managed over time to reduce the potential disbenefits?
Tasks:
- To understand and communicate how the water flows over time, seasonally and including flood level variations, anticipated changes etc as several scenarios which can be communicated to a public audience,
- To identify and propose locations, access points and activities related to health and wellbeing (physical, mental and social) for all seasons, and
- To propose methods of mitigating risks and hazards resulting from the dynamic character of the river under different scenarios