Johannes Hunink – FutureWater

MountAInWater will deliver the first-ever comprehensive global reanalysis of mountain water resources, combining high-resolution physically-based modelling with artificial intelligence. The project starts with detailed fieldwork and modelling at four “supersites” in the Canadian Rockies, the Andes, the Pamir and the Himalaya. These simulations will train AI models that allow the approach to scale globally, covering all major mountain ranges at resolutions as fine as one kilometer. The project addresses non-linearities and tipping points in glaciers, snow and permafrost that have rarely been considered to date. Once the global reanalysis is complete, the team will zoom in on regional hotspots, areas facing significant changes in water availability, to assess societal and ecological impacts and collaborate with local stakeholders on adaptation strategies.

Together with Wageningen University and Hydrominds, FutureWater will focus on identifying water scarcity hotspots and simulating water resources allocation in downstream regions. This involves assessing where and when mountain water is used for irrigation, drinking water and hydropower, and how climate-driven changes in mountain hydrology will affect water security for downstream communities.

The project brings together partners from six countries: ISTA (Austria, lead), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), Technical University of Munich (Germany), University of Lausanne (Switzerland), Utrecht University (Netherlands), University of Saskatchewan (Canada), Wageningen University (Netherlands), FutureWater (Netherlands) and Climate Adaptation Services (Netherlands).

Through a user-friendly web interface and interoperable data services, DROPS-WISE will support operational decision-making, crisis management and longer-term planning for water authorities and other stakeholders. Designed with interoperability, data governance and scalability at its core, the solution aligns with European data standards and Copernicus services, contributing to more resilient, data-driven water management under increasing climate uncertainty.

DROPS-WISE is one of the five consortium selected under the PCP WISE innovation project. PCP WISE is a European innovation project in which public organizations and market parties from across Europe collaborate. The project focuses on developing a usable and applicable tool for water information, enabling water managers to respond better and faster to climate-related challenges. By intelligently combining satellite data with, for example, field measurements, meteorological and hydrological models, greater insight is gained into the dynamics of the aquatic vegetation system.

DROPS-WISE is formed by a consortium between FutureWater, Acacia Water, Nelen & Schuurmans, VITO, Technolution and ARUP. Futurewater is bringing its expertise in Hydrological Modelling and Analysis, Risk Assessment and Water Scarcity and Drought Management.

FutureWater is pleased to announce the successful completion of the BONEX project (2022–2025), which focused on advancing the Water, Energy, Food, ecosystem (WEFe) nexus. The project aimed to bridge the gap between governance and practice by developing practical solutions to overcome barriers in WEFe-related policies and decision-making.

Over its three-year duration, BONEX delivered several key outputs:

Development of a WEFe bridging framework
Creation of diagnostic tools to support WEFe assessments
Demonstration and testing of solutions in selected pilot projects
Exploitation and upscaling of BONEX results

Together, these activities have significantly strengthened nexus-based thinking, practice, and decision-making across diverse contexts.

As part of the EU-PRIMA funded BONEX project, FutureWater successfully developed and piloted the REWEFe (Rapid Evaluation of the Water, Energy, Food, ecosystem nexus) tool. REWEFe enables users to quantitatively assess inter- and intra-sectoral linkages and evaluate the impacts of different scenarios (including interventions and projections) across the four WEFE sectors.

Developed within an MS Excel environment, REWEFe is designed for rapid and accessible assessments, providing clear visual outputs and robust scenario analysis to support integrated planning at multiple scales. The tool is:

Quick and user-friendly
Fully open access
Flexible and easy to customise
Designed to support scenario analysis and nexus-based decision-making

In collaboration with partners from seven Mediterranean countries (Italy, Portugal, Spain, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Morocco) REWEFe was co-developed and applied across the seven demonstration projects. These projects implemented a wide range of nexus solutions, including nature-based solutions (such as cover crops, riverbank restoration, and wetlands), solar-powered hydroponic systems, and improved nutrient management practices. The tool was used to conduct advanced WEFe analyses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of both individual and combined interventions, as well as their potential upscaling impacts. Multiple scenarios were developed for each demonstration project to support evidence-based decision-making.

In addition to the technical development and application of REWEFe, FutureWater produced a policy brief summarising key insights from the demonstration projects. The brief highlights how BONEX tools and methods can support multidisciplinary WEFE nexus assessments and inform integrated, cross-sectoral policy and planning.

ADB is committed to supporting its developing member countries in scaling up climate action. As part of this commitment, ADB is implementing TA 10098-REG: Bridging the Gap between Climate Adaptation Planning and Financing, also known as the Climate Adaptation Investment Planning (CAIP) TA. The CAIP TA aims to enhance the capacity of developing member countries (DMCs), to identify climate adaptation investment priorities to catalyze financing for adaptation and resilience. The TA delivers three outputs: (i) climate adaptation investment plans developed; (ii) appraisal of climate adaptation projects improved; and (iii) regional knowledge on climate adaptation investment planning strengthened.

The CAIP TA applies a five-step process for climate adaptation investment planning: (i) reviewing country and sector context, including national development plans and strategies, climate policies including the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), or equivalent adaptation plans; (ii) undertaking more granular climate diagnostic for selected national adaptation priorities; (iii) prioritizing adaptation investments; (iv) linking with public financial management systems; and (v) identifying appropriate financing opportunities. The CAIP TA brings together different relevant ministries, especially the finance and planning ministry, the respective sector ministry, and the environment ministry. In addition, the implementation process closely collaborates with relevant development partners active in the adaptation space in the country, the private sector, and civil society organizations.

FutureWater was engaged by ADB to develop the climate adaptation investment plans and underlying Climate Risk and Adaptation assessments (CRAs) for selected river basins in Lao PDR and Timor-Leste. Both the CRAs and the investment plans are approached from a multi-sector perspective and strongly adhere to IWRM principles. Water resources modelling (WEAP) is employed to relate water supply and demands in an integrated framework under different scenarios, in addition to extensive mapping of climate hazards, exposure and vulnerability across the study areas, making use of a combination of state-of-the-art global data and tools and locally-sourced information. The investment plans involve mapping and assessment of current and planned investments within the river basins, including nature-based solutions and green-gray infrastructure, followed by an identification of adaptation opportunities and subsequent prioritization. The results of the CAIP process for Lao PDR and Timor-Leste are expected to support the country’s national adaptation priorities into concrete, investment-ready plans and securing the necessary funding for their implementation.

Climate change is expected to intensify extreme rainfall events, further stressing the outdated drainage systems and increasing flood risks. Additionally, institutional and legal challenges complicate effective drainage management, including fragmented responsibilities and funding constraints. Environmental considerations are also critical, as many of the drainage areas are adjacent to sensitive ecosystems, including the Kolkheti National Park and the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This assessment will focus on evaluating the condition and performance of the current drainage systems in West Georgia, the potential and feasibility of their rehabilitation, analyzing the agricultural potential of rehabilitated land, assessing climate and environmental impacts, and identifying legal and institutional gaps. The findings will inform a feasibility study, providing strategic recommendations for rehabilitating and modernizing the drainage systems to enhance agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability in West Georgia.

The technical support draws on water resources modeling, drought early warning, and remote sensing, and is grounded in collaboration with knowledge institutions and policy stakeholders. The work also includes reviewing current practices among Member States, assessing environmental and socio-economic impacts, and identifying areas for improvement. Through this input, FutureWater supports the Commission in addressing complex questions around water resilience, while ensuring that scientific findings are translated into actionable insights for policy and planning.

FutureWater was proud to contribute to the Local Climate Response training programme hosted by The Hague Academy for Local Governance, where professionals from Iraq, Libya, Morocco, Belize, the Philippines, Germany, Pakistan, and Mozambique gathered for two weeks of intensive learning and exchange.

The training addressed key challenges faced by local governments and communities in responding to the growing impacts of climate change. Participants explored a range of urgent questions, including:

How can local authorities strengthen resilience to climate risks?
In what ways can communities drive adaptation, particularly in vulnerable settings?
What does just and inclusive climate governance look like at the local level?

As part of the programme, FutureWater delivered a lecture and practical session on Climate Risk Assessments, equipping participants with knowledge and tools to integrate risk-informed approaches into their local planning processes. The session focused on translating climate data into actionable insights, using risk mapping and water resources modeling, and exploring practical examples from various regions, like Georgia and Uzbekistan.

We thank The Hague Academy for the opportunity to support this important initiative and extend our appreciation to all participants for their active engagement and shared commitment to strengthening local climate resilience.

The approach of FutureWater and Galayr is designed to be both scientifically rigorous and contextually grounded, ensuring that the developed drought model is locally relevant, sustainable, and fully integrated into existing national systems such as those of SODMA and NADFOR. The model will merge top-down (data-driven, machine learning-enabled) and bottom-up (stakeholder-informed) approaches, combining satellite data, climate indices, and indigenous knowledge to co-develop impact-based forecasts and consensus-based triggers for anticipatory action.

For the development of the drought forecasting model and the knowledge transfer we will focus on the following pillars:

A phased work plan that spans institutional capacity assessments, model development, validation, stakeholder consultations, and hands-on capacity building.
Application of state-of-the-art forecasting models ranging from ARIMA and regression to more advanced machine learning techniques, while maintaining focus on usability and institutional adoption.
A strong emphasis on knowledge transfer, including training programs and the establishment of a collaborative knowledge-sharing platform using the FutureWater Academy platform
A robust risk management plan, including mitigation strategies for data scarcity, stakeholder disengagement, and institutional turnover.

The TU Delft and TAHMO (Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory) have launched a project with the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana to improve local weather data, help Ghanaian farmers get actionable information from it and with it foster a climate-smart horticultural sector in Ghana. At FutureWater, we support the project by researching optimal planting dates for horticultural crops that are commonly grown in Ghana, such as tomato, eggplants, and onions. The end goal is to supply farmers and extension officers with location-specific information on optimal planting dates for different horticultural crops.

Our methodology is inspired by earlier work led by TU Delft. The FAO AquaCrop model is used simulate crop growth and yields under different possible planting dates based on data of the local climate and local soil conditions, considering the spatial variability across the country. Different planting strategies are analyzed, to assess the effectiveness of both traditional and weather-data informed planting strategies. FutureWater uses the open-source Python version of AquaCrop, developed by Manchester University.

This project will not just explore new ground on sowing windows in Ghana, but it will also provide actionable information for Ghanaian farmers and help them better prepare for an already changing climate.

The WEFE NEXUS International Conference, themed “Exploring and Bridging Nexus for a Sustainable Future,” was held on 11-12 February 2025 at the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco. Jointly organized by the BONEX and SureNexus projects, both funded by PRIMA, this important event convened a diverse group of researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners from across the globe to tackle the growing challenges and opportunities presented by the Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) Nexus.

Day 1 focused on governance and gender equity within the WEFE Nexus:

Governance & Policy Integration – Strategies to enhance resilience in resource management.
Gender & WEFE Nexus – Emphasizing gender inclusivity in sustainable development

Day 2 explored innovative solutions for implementing WEFE Nexus strategies:

Trade-off Analysis & Policy Integration – Lessons from multi-country case studies.
Decision-Support Systems – Smart governance for sustainable resource use.
WEFE 2.0 – Redefining sustainability through innovation.

On day 2, FutureWater (Johannes Hunink) presented the Rapid Evaluation for WEFe nexus analysis (REWEFe) tool, and its application several case studies of the BONEX project. The conference fostered collaboration amongst partners in the Mediterranean. Several concrete activities were discussed for Jordan, amongst others. The discussions initiated will continue shaping policies and projects beyond this event.