Centre for Water and Food Security in Critical Zones

• Grant number: 21/11762-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Science Centers for Development
• Start date: November 01, 2022
• End date: October 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Humberto Ribeiro da Rocha
• Grantee: Humberto Ribeiro da Rocha
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Caio Augusto dos Santos Coelho ; Carlos Alberto Mendonça ; Carlos Augusto Morales Rodriguez ; Denise Helena Silva Duarte ; Jorge Luís Porsani ; José Luiz Albuquerque Filho
• Associated researchers: Alexandre Cláudio Botazzo Delbem ; Alexandre Muselli Barbosa ; Alexandre Ortega Gonçalves ; Alfredo Pisani ; Ana Maciel de Carvalho ; André Campos Guaragna Kowalski ; Andréa Teixeira Ustra ; Angelica Prela-Pantano ; Antoniane Arantes de Oliveira Roque ; Antonio Mauro Saraiva ; Caio Pompeu Cavalhieri ; Carla Ferreira Josef ; Francisco de Assis Negri ; Gabriel Constantino Blain ; Gré de Araújo Lobo ; Helber Custódio de Freitas ; Hemily Julia Barros Bernardo ; Jane Maria de Carvalho Silveira ; Jorge Luís Porsani ; Kleber Lopes da Rocha Filho ; Leonardo Moreno Domingues ; Leonides Guireli Netto ; Liliana Alcazar Diogo ; Mauricio Jonas Ferreira ; Nadia Franqueiro Correa ; Orivaldo Brunini ; Osvaldo Machado Rodrigues Cabral ; Otávio Coaracy Brasil Gandolfo ; Regina Celia de Matos Pires ; Renato Luiz Prado ; Ricardo Ivan Ferreira da Trindade ; roberto paulo zanon dos santos ; Simone Marilene Sievert da Costa Coelho ; Solange S Silva Sánchez ; Tatiana Luiz dos Santos Tavares ; Vagner Roberto Elis
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/05870-0 - Development and evaluation of calibration procedures for seasonal and subseasonal forecasts, BP.PD; 24/22242-0 - Surface degradation index derived from biophysical and hydroclimatological parameters: a case study in pasture areas., BP.DD; 25/02258-2 - Database for assimilating a large amount of atmospheric forecast data., BP.TT; + associated scholarships 24/18010-7 - Secular climate variation in cities in the state of São Paulo: a case study with time series and evaluation of vegetation control., BP.IC; 24/14862-9 - GRACE-GWS and RIMAS-SGB water level correlation at the northern portion of the Paraná Basin, BP.IC; 24/08310-3 - Maintenance and Monitoring of the ChuvaOnline Computer System, BP.TT; 23/13316-8 - Characterization of basic concepts and application of methods for estimating unconfined aquifers recharge as a support for water and food security in critical basins in the State of São Paulo, BP.IC; 23/11191-3 - Hydrogeophysical investigation for aquifer characterization in catchment basins, BP.PD; 23/06061-3 - Contribution of the integration of geological data and geophysical modeling in support of the sustainable exploitation of groundwater in critical zones in the São Paulo State, BP.DR; 23/00912-1 - Hydrological parameters from geophysical data, BP.MS; 22/15999-2 - The urban heat island of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo: characterization and relationships between air and surface temperatures, BP.DD - associated scholarships

Abstract

The Centre for Water and Food Security at Critical Zones has the main goal to improve solutions to problems on water and food security in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with emphasis in the management water risk at local and regional scale. The basic field and historical inventory information will be focused at spatial critical zones (headwaters, agricultural plots and specific urban areas) and at selected macro-regions in the state, namely the basins of rivers Piracicaba-Capivari-Jundiaí (PCJ); Alto Tietê; Alto Paraíba do Sul; Mogi-Guaçú; Pardo; Sapucaí-Grande e Alto Paranapanema. Local scale information will be upscaled to regional basins using adequate numerical models (hillslope hydrology models; process based plant productivity models; groundwater hydrology models; urban canopy atmospheric models). The proposal has 6 working packages with complementary activities in order to achieve the overall goal with functional products, respectively: 1. Network of meteorological and hydrological monitoring with automatic weather station and discharge/groundwater measurements; 2. The use of seasonal climate prediction to help agricultural risk; 3. Geophysical patterns of shallow and deep acquifers; 4. Hydrological and agricultural index; 5. Rainfall nowcasting; 6. Hidroclimatological challenges in densely urbanized areas. The agricultural component will focus on field plant productivity, by using improved information to planting, irrigation, harvest and operation. The water component will improve information of hydrological predictability on short term (1-4 day), medium and long range (30 day to 6 month) to help decision making on reservoirs management and urban supply, to improve criteria for water grant, irrigation demand, and on the short term (1h nowcast) for warnings of severe storms with hail and floodings. The environmental component proposes to qualify and quantify climate-vegetation connection processes in challenges using nature based solutions, as vegetation restoration in headwaters, specially springs and riparian zones. In urban areas it is proposed to find optimal solutions using green/blue infrastrcture combined to grey infrastructure, to help human thermal confort, rainfall infiltration, effects on microclimate as alternatives to climate extremes adaptation. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALBERTON, BRUNA; MARTIN, THOMAS C. M.; DA ROCHA, HUMBERTO R.; RICHARDSON, ANDREW D.; MOURA, MAGNA S. B.; TORRES, RICARDO S.; MORELLATO, LEONOR PATRICIA CERDEIRA. Relationship between tropical leaf phenology and ecosystem productivity using phenocameras. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, v. 11, p. 14-pg., 2023-09-14. (14/00215-0, 13/50155-0, 10/52113-5, 09/54208-6, 19/23853-5, 21/11762-5, 15/50488-5, 16/01413-5, 19/11835-2)

DOMINGUES, LEONARDO MORENO; ROCHA, HUMBERTO RIBEIRO DA. Serial droughts and loss of hydrologic resilience in a subtropical basin: The case of water inflow into the Cantareira reservoir system in Brazil during 2013-2021. JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES, v. 44, p. 18-pg., 2022-10-21. (15/50682-6, 19/23853-5, 21/11762-5)

CHITTOLINA, MARIANE; DA ROCHA, HUMBERTO RIBEIRO; DOMINGUES, LEONARDO MORENO; LOBO, GRE DE ARAUJO. Hydrological response of a headwater catchment in Southeast Brazil-Threshold patterns of stormflow response. Hydrological Processes, v. 37, n. 5, p. 15-pg., 2023-05-01. (16/16358-0, 19/17179-0, 20/04060-1, 15/50682-6, 19/23853-5, 21/11762-5)

FERREIRA, MAURICIO JONAS; DA ROCHA, HUMBERTO RIBEIRO. Hazard classification, social and economic losses in flooded urban areas. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION, v. 120, p. 15-pg., 2025-03-15. (21/11762-5, 19/23853-5)

CHITTOLINA, MARIANE; DA ROCHA, HUMBERTO R.; ANSELMO, EVANDRO M.; SOUZA, RODOLFO M. S.; DOMINGUES, LEONARDO M.. Estimation of evapotranspiration using micrometeorological and water budget methods in headwater catchments of southeastern Brazil. JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES, v. 60, p. 18-pg., 2025-08-01. (21/11762-5, 19/17179-0, 19/23853-5, 15/50682-6, 16/16358-0, 20/04060-1)

DA CONCEICAO, LUCAS F. C.; DA ROCHA, HUMBERTO R.; NAVARRETE, NELSON V.; ROSOLEM, RAFAEL; CABRAL, OSVALDO M. R.; DE FREITAS, HELBER C.. Interannual Variability of Water and Heat Fluxes in a Woodland Savanna (Cerrado) in Southeastern Brazil: Effects of Severe Drought and Soil Moisture. ATMOSPHERE, v. 15, n. 6, p. 20-pg., 2024-06-01. (15/50682-6, 21/11762-5)

TALAMONI, ISABELLA L.; KUBOTA, PAULO Y.; SOUZA, DAYANA C. DE; PEZZI, LUCIANO P.; COELHO, CAIO A. S.. Relationship between the SST diurnal cycle over the Tropical Western Pacific Ocean and subseasonal/seasonal oscillations: Associations with wind speed and outgoing longwave radiation. DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS, v. 107, p. 13-pg., 2024-07-30. (21/11762-5)