The management and utilization of water storage systems, such as dams and reservoirs, have historically played a central role in ensuring a steady water supply during dry periods, supporting various sectors including domestic, industrial, and agricultural needs. However, increasing water demands due to population growth, coupled with ongoing climate extremes affecting drought and precipitation patterns, highlight the urgent need for efficient and sustainable management of water reservoirs. Projected global warming is expected to impact the operation and storage efficiency of water reservoirs (e.g., through intensified evaporative losses), posing serious risks to a wide range of stakeholders. Given the intensity and frequency of recent climate extremes (droughts, heatwaves, and heavy precipitations), it is more important than ever to develop sustainable and effective water management strategies that incorporate various environmental and socio-economic drivers and pressures affecting water storage.
This session invites theoretical, experimental, and applied studies that explore the management of both natural and human-made water storages under different local and global change scenarios, identifying the associated risks to sustainable water reservoir management. The goal is to unite diverse contributions including (but not limited to) remote sensing, in situ observations, AI-based methods, and hydrological modeling to enhance the sustainable management and implementation of freshwater storage systems.
Key topics include:
• Impacts of climate variability and change on reservoir performance and water availability
• Sedimentation, water quality, and ecological consequences of reservoir operation
• Role of digital tools, such as digital twins, in monitoring and optimizing reservoir management
• Governance, policy, and socio-economic dimensions of sustainable reservoir use
• Case studies highlighting innovative adaptation strategies and restoration initiatives