2Qua - Qualidade e quantidade de água, os desafios do presente e do futuro

Worldwide, there have been problems concerning the water quality and quantity in freshwater ecosystems. This issue has been aggravated in the last decades due to climate change, namely with the increase in temperature and the occurrence of extreme events (droughts and floods). These events, currently more pronounced in drought periods, raise new concerns over two fronts: what is the water quantity available for human and ecosystem purposes? Moreover, to anticipate minimization and mitigation action, it will be important to understand whether there is a positive correlation between the quantity of available water and its quality, namely in reservoirs, with responsive tools in a real scenario. On the other hand, an increase in emergent contaminants has been detected in these ecosystems (eg metals, pesticides), and the presence of microplastics is a new challenge to face. The presence of microplastics is described in almost all aquatic ecosystems, however, their presence in reservoirs presents an increased danger, as they are the main inland artificial freshwater bodies used for different human purposes. So, it is crucial to guarantee the water quality of these aquatic ecosystems. The main objective of the 2Qua project addresses the world's current problem regarding the quality and quantity of potable water (following SDG #6) in reservoirs, where we intend: - To assess the ecological potential of the target reservoirs (Aguieira and Rabagão), following the WFD approach, and evaluate the contribution of the information from the evaluation of the dynamic of zooplankton communities to the water assessment, - To assess the microplastic contamination on the target reservoirs, going beyond legislation in ecological assessment, to identify the potential sources of this contamination, - To assess the ecological potential of the target reservoirs with the Remote Sensing tools already used in inland waters. Moreover, we also intend to use Remote Sensing tools to assess the water quantity available in each reservoir, - To conduct an integrative analysis, using with the data gathered in previous tasks to discriminate sensitive indicators that allow a positive correlation between water quality and water quantity, - To develop a citizen science strategic plan to engage the local communities in minimizing the impacts on the target reservoirs, we intend to raise awareness and bring local citizens closer together in promoting the environmental quality of reservoirs through scientific outreach activities and resources. Thus, the legacy of the present project is to assess the ecological quality of the target ecosystems, considering the WFD approach, but also including the role of zooplankton as a moderator of the environmental quality of these ecosystems, and the occurrence of microplastics to assess the potential pollution sources of these ecosystems. At the same time, the study intends to use Remote Sensing tools in the real-time assessment of the ecological quality of water bodies and to relate it to the variation in the quantity of water available. The information generated will be used to validate the relationship between the quantity and the quality of the water of the target ecosystems, from the perspective of an almost real-time knowledge of the situation and anticipating more complex problems.