Water and environment news. No. 27, August 2010

The Isotope Hydrology Section is excited to undertake a new initiative focused on the assessment of water resources. The project aims to assist Member States in identifying gaps in existing hydrological information and understanding, in improving capacities for collecting, managing and interpreting water resources data, and in using advanced techniques to simulate hydrological systems. The project is meant to complement other international, national and regional initiatives, and create a more detailed understanding of national water resources - including sustainability and vulnerability - and thus aid decision makers in managing their water resources in the best way possible. Pilot efforts are beginning in 2010, and the project is expected to support an expanding portfolio of national projects. Another IAEA initiative related to resource assessments is being undertaken in the Nile River Basin. Though many components of the basin's hydrology have been thoroughly analysed, groundwater - which is playing an increasingly important role for Nile Basin countries - has received little attention. Meanwhile, new mapping techniques undertaken for the Tadla Basin in Morocco have improved understanding of this aquifer system, and may be used for a visual analysis of groundwater data in other parts of the world. It is intended to include a Reader's Corner in upcoming editions of the newsletter to provide readers with a platform for feedback, suggestions and questions regarding isotope hydrology programmes and other issues of interest to the isotope hydrology community