Estimation of Environmental Flows using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Acoustic Equipment based on fish habitat requirements
The primary aim of this project is the estimation of fish habitat criteria, using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), comprised by a fixed-wing airplane and high resolution RGB cameras, that will contribute to physical habitat identification through the development of detailed Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) by applying photogrammetric techniques.
The specific objectives of the project are:
Development of habitat suitability models and hydroecological modelling tools using state-of-the-art technology that will take into consideration both the ecosystem functions and services as well as improved water management practices for environmental flow estimations.
Moreover, the project actions will facilitate the implementation of the relevant legislation including the Water Framework Directive – 2000/60/EC. Flowtech will harvest and upgrade the existing knowledge and experience focusing on the estimation of environmental water needs in a more integrated way, regardless of policy restrictions.
Funding
The FlowTech project is funded under the 2st Call for Research Projects ELIDEK (HFRI, Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation) for the support of Post-doctoral Researchers by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT) within the scientific research area for the Environment and Energy (Project ID: 454).
Expected results & Research Project Impact
Under the framework of this project, progress will be reported on the environmental flows with prospect to contribute most effectively to sustainable freshwater management on a country level.
It is also expected to broaden the relative audience including water resources managers, decision makers, scientists working in the fields of ecology and water resources management, engineers that design hydraulic works and environmental policy makers, Non-governmental organizations in the fields of Environment, public administrators in the water permits offices, researchers and students working on aquatic sciences to embrace social-ecological sustainability that balances freshwater conservation needs with human well-being.