Speakers Bio & Abstract

Biography
Jonna van Opstal holds a BSc and MSc degree in International Land and Water Management from Wageningen University. She continued pursuing academic research work by doing a PhD at Utah State University in Irrigation Engineering, with a focus on energy balance modelling using satellite remote sensing. After successfully defending her PhD, she started her role as water productivity specialist in the Water Accounting group of UNESCO-IHE under the leadership of Wim Bastiaanssen. Abstract
Feeding the Cities: a Water Accounting Approach using Satellite Remote SensingCompetition for water is evident in several arid and semi-arid regions. Water users of all sectors from agriculture to urban are impacted by limited water supplies. Urban areas are expanding resulting in larger water and food demands. This puts pressure on other water users such as the agricultural sector. Discussion on the allocation of water to urban areas requires insight in the quantities of water flows and demands in a river basin. The Water Accounting approach provides this insight by using satellite remote sensing imagery and enables a discussion on water management for river basins even if field data is limited. In this presentation the Water Accounting concept, methodology and implementation is explained. An example is given of a study in the Bear River Basin located in Northern Utah. The impact of agricultural water flows on downstream users such as the Salt Lake City area is demonstrated using water accounting and satellite imagery.