Within the context of the EUROCLIMA and RALCEA programmes of the European Union and Latin America, a platform has been established for the exchange of knowledge and the generation of synergies among specialists belonging to a range of Latin American institutions dealing with hydrology and water resources.
With the support of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), the group is analyzing the variability and frequency of the components of the Water Balance at the regional level (precipitation, temperature and evapotranspiration), using the Regional Frequency Analysis based on L-moments, that permit the characterization of variability in space and time. This methodology is viewed as the most appropriate when dealing with short data records and networks of limited density where the variables present significant asymmetry, as in the case of precipitation. The procedure was agreed upon by the specialists attending a workshop held in Ispra, Italy (http://bit.ly/B2MemoriaTaller), in July 2011.
One of the outcomes is the characterization of the variability in terms of the frequency of occurrence of extreme events, which would in turn serve as the basis for establishing the risk of disasters caused by extreme hydroclimatic events. This approach furthermore complements and enriches the efforts made with the International Hydrological Programme (IHP: http://www.unesco.org.uy/ phi/aqualac), for the development of National Water Balances in Latin America, which will provide data for decision-makers in response to the effects of variability and climate change.
It is similarly expected to strengthen networks for cooperation within the region and with the European Union for research into the water sector.
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