WaterSENSE

Climate change, increasing demand, and inefficient use put immense pressure on global water systems, especially in agriculture, where irrigation consumes over 70% of available freshwater. To ensure sustainable water management, decision-makers need scalable, data-driven insights. WaterSENSE, a Horizon 2020 project, developed an Earth Observation-based water monitoring system and toolbox of operational services that integrates satellite data, hydrological models, and in-situ observations. Applied successfully in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin, WaterSENSE enables farmers, water managers, and policy makers to optimise irrigation, improve water productivity, and enhance sustainability. The WaterSENSE Toolbox is now available anywhere in Australia to help Water Managers facing the challenge of sustainable water use with the most advanced monitoring and modelling capabilities: • Gauge Adjusted Precipitation Radar Data • Actual Evapotranspiration (ETLook model) and Biomass Data (used by the UN FAO) • Irrigated Water Use (Incremental ET) and weekly irrigated area mapping (HSP model) • Soil Moisture at depth, from local to continental • Field level water balance data across a catchment • Surface water area and volume of storages • Environmental flow extent and impact (vegetation condition) Building on this foundation, REINFORM, funded under Horizon Europe and led by Water Technology and eLEAF, expands WaterSENSE’s innovations. It focuses on agricultural water sustainability, particularly in the cotton sector, by refining EO-based water productivity indicators, hybrid hydrological models, and real-time decision-support tools. Together, these projects provide practical, science-backed solutions that empower stakeholders to monitor, manage, and sustain water resources effectively. Our mission is to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world application, ensuring that EO technology contributes to a more sustainable and water-secure future.