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APRONA : an observatory of the Alsace Groundwater (France)

by | Oct 21, 2022

APRONA

An observatory of the Alsace Groundwater (France)

APRONA

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People in charge of the innovative practice :

Philippe SCHOTT – contact@aprona.net

Aprona is an observatory of the Alsace groundwater in France. This partnership project brings together all the water stakeholders and has a dual objective of sharing knowledge and assisting decision-making. The approach is also open to the German and Swiss transboundary territories of the Rhine plain, according to the data and information available on certain bordering sectors. APRONA is in charge of the animation, coordination, and development.
Surface water and groundwater are monitored by several organizations on the territory. The waters of these 2 systems are almost in permanent interaction. Through a mutualisation of existing tools, a GIS portal offers an access to water data in Alsace and allows to display indicators and dashboards providing a synthetic vision of the desired information.
The observatory contributes to: (i) cross-referencing, facilitating the exchange of data from the various stakeholders and valorizing them in different forms; (ii) improving knowledge of groundwater and surface water and their interactions to promote a better understanding of the water cycle and aquatic environments; (iii) disseminating information on the situation and issues related to water in Alsace for water professionals, the general public and decision-makers; (iv) providing unbiased content on the quantity and quality of water in Alsace
The users of the platform are mainly engineering companies, local authorities who can benefit from a dedicated access, the general public, the farmers, and finally the private companies such as the gravel pit managers.

Responsible entity

The association for the protection of the groundwater of the Alsace plain (APRONA) is in charge of managing the regional observation networks related to the quantity and quality of groundwater in Alsace and of making information available to the various water stakeholders. APRONA gathers representatives of the Rhine-Meuse Basin Committee, local authorities as well as users, private companies, farmers or nature protection associations. Competent personalities are also associated, in particular a representative of the Ministry of the Environment of Baden-Württemberg (Germany).

Institutional setting

APRONA was created on March 28, 1995 and its founding members are: the French State, the Regional Council of Alsace, the General Council of the Lower Rhine, the General Council of the Upper Rhine, the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency. APRONA is composed of: a board of directors, an office, active members, associate members and honorary members. Active members must be approved by the board of directors and have a deliberative vote at the General Assembly. Associate members participate in the work of the association, but do not have the right to vote. Finally, honorary members can be appointed by the general assembly on the proposal of the executive committee and the board of directors.

Geographical setting

The Rhine water table (water mass CG001 – Pliocene of Haguenau and Alsace water table) is one of the most important underground water reserves in Europe. It extends, in Alsace, on 3200 km² of which 400 for the pliocene of Haguenau. The quantity of water stored, for this part of Alsace alone, is estimated at 35 billion m3. The supply of the water table is ensured:

  • directly from precipitation on the plain (effective rainfall);
  • by infiltration of the Vosges rivers whose flow is also dependent on precipitation;
  • by infiltration of water from the Rhine, depending on the section and the development;
  • by lateral contributions at the edge of the Vosges or the Black Forest, by the water tables of the Doller, Thur, Lauch and Fecht rivers in particular.

The water withdrawals from the aquifer are mainly due to:

  • exchanges with the rivers and the Rhine which can drain the water table;
  • withdrawals by pumping for domestic, industrial or agricultural uses.

The fluctuations of the water level are not without consequences on the natural environment and the human activities: drying up of the wetlands, water rising in the individual houses or the public buildings, incidences on the importance and the propagation of the pollution (appearance of the new vectors of water pollution from the ground or the surface water poorly protected by permeable soils and located at a low depth), the water table is subject to degradation due to multiple pollution, diffuse and/or punctual, of industrial, agricultural, domestic origin or pollution of surface water which infiltrates into the water table.
The Sundgau is the part of the Haut-Rhin department located south of Mulhouse. From a geographical point of view, it is a landscape of gentle hills continuing towards the west with the hills of Belfortain. The region is bordered to the north by the Doller valley and the Alsace plain, and to the east by the Rhine plain, known as the “Sierentz ditch” between Basel and Mulhouse. In the south it stops on the Swiss Jura chains, of which the Ferrette limestone massif represents the first buttress.

nappes du fossé Rhénan
nappes du fossé Rhénan

Detailed explanation

Measuring network
APRONA manages a piezometric network of 170 points on the Alsace water table, which can be used to: (i) carry out a global statistical analysis and characterize the functioning of the water table, (ii) carry out hydrodynamic and transfer modelling at the scale of the water table or more locally, (iii) establish reference conditions and analyze the representativeness of the monitoring networks, (iv) defining and monitoring vulnerable sectors within the framework of drought decrees, (v) mapping areas at risk of flooding by rising water table or preferential infiltration, and (vi) evaluating water table-river exchanges and monitoring remarkable wetlands.

Live monitoring
Live monitoring of the water table is possible for 27 reference points of the network. For each station, graphs established with updated data (refreshed every 12 hours) present the evolution of the water table over the last 15 days and over the 12 months and the measurements are automatically put online on the APRONA website. The monthly situations are represented with the help of the standardized piezometric indicator (SPI) which allows to qualify the water table levels in relation to the whole chronicle and the evolution of the levels in relation to the previous months.

State of the the art
The state of the art is frequently published to act in favor of the recovery of the quality of groundwater. These assessments are carried out every 6 years. Through a follow-up of historical pollution and the search for emerging molecules, these assessments help to anticipate, redirect and/or size the actions to be implemented to recover and preserve the quality of the water resource. This work also contributes to the transboundary declination of periodic inventories of the most important aquifer in Europe by associating the German and Swiss partners on their territories concerned.

nappes du fossé Rhénan

Historical overview

1995: Creation of APRONA (Association for the protection of the groundwater of the Alsace plain) on the initiative of the Alsace Region, the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency, the General Councils and the Alsace Regional Prefecture.

1997: First inventory on a transboundary scale of the quality of the groundwater of the Rhine water table (Project manager: Alsace Region).

1999: Organization of the first APRONA day on nitrate pollution in the Vosges foothills.

2002-2006: Modelling of groundwater pollution by nitrates in the Upper Rhine Valley, setting up of monitoring indicators for actions to protect the Rhine water table in the Upper Rhine Graben, carrying out the 2nd Transboundary Inventory of groundwater quality in the Rhine water table.

2009: Completion of the 3rd Transboundary Groundwater Quality Inventory of the Rhine Groundwater.

2012: Signature of the framework agreement for cross-border cooperation. Setting up of the LOGAR network (Operational Link for the Management of the Rhine Aquifer). Start of the construction of a water observatory.

2015: Launch of the Alsace water observatory.

Evidence of benefits from implementation

Monitoring has shown, for example, that between 2003 and 2010, little change has been observed in the quality of groundwater, with potability limits often exceeded at certain measurement points.

Replication potential in SUDOE region

The Alsace water table is a special case because in France, it is the BRGM that manages the piezometers. Alsace is a particular case which is linked to the historical context.
7 people are dedicated to the daily management of this practice (which can sometimes rise to 13 depending on the nature of the projects underway).
The observatory benefits from subsidies from the Water Agency and the Grand-East Region up to 90%, within the framework of multi-year contracts on the basis of actions proposed by APRONA. The rest is financed by studies and calls for tender.

Future outlook

In the short term, the perspectives set are:
The reform of APRONA’s statutes;

  • Technical support for the implementation of territorial solution contracts in priority catchment areas with the objective of supporting local authorities and evaluating trends in concentrations in order to establish a link with the actions undertaken.
  • The construction of the new ERMES Alsace/Rhine 2022 project with the objective of assessing the sensitivity of the Rhine water table to the transfer of these micropollutants via watercourses, taking into account the impacts of wastewater treatment plant discharges.

The orientations taken in the long term aim in particular to be coherent with the environmental challenges identified in recent years and more particularly the adaptations to be undertaken in the face of climate change. This will further consolidate APRONA’s status as a reference for stakeholders in the water sector.

It is therefore planned to:

  • To perpetuate the provision of decision-making tools and forecasts for public decision-makers, both on the quantity and quality of water resources;
  • To extend the expertise in groundwater quality monitoring, knowledge of groundwater recharge conditions and interactions with surface waters;
  • To deliver an adapted and independent communication to the public and to reinforce the awareness of the actors for a better shared management of the resource and the recovery of its quality.

Key points of the innovative method

Monitoring and visualization of a piezometric network in real time
> Modeling the functioning of the water table
> Inventory and mapping of pollution
> Governance organized in Observatory

Acknowledgements

The innovative practice was suggested by Yvan KEDAJ (Aqua-Valley), and Philippe SCHOTT (APRONA) participated in the interview.

References

APRONA (2003). Inventaire de la qualité des eaux souterraines dans la vallée du Rhin supérieur 2002/2003. Rapport final. https://www.aprona.net/uploads/pdf/qualite/Inventaire%202003/Rapport_Bericht_Inventaire_2003.pdf
APRONA (2009). Inventaire 2009 de la qualité des eaux souterraines dans le fossé rhénan supérieur. https://www.aprona.net/uploads/pdf/qualite/Inventaire%202009/inv-2009-complet-light.pdf
APRONA (2010). Inventaire 2010 de la qualité des eaux des aquifères du Sundgau. Comparaison avec les résultats des mesures 2003. https://www.aprona.net/uploads/pdf/qualite/Sundgau/region_alsace_rapport_sundgau_2010.pdf

INTERNET REFERENCES:

APRONA : https://www.aprona.net/

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AQUI-FR

by | Aug 25, 2022

AQUI-FR

national hydrogeological modeling platform (France)

AQUI-FR

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People in charge of the innovative practice :

Jean-Pierre VERGNES – jp.vergnes@brgm.fr

AQUI-FR is a national hydrogeological modeling platform designed as a tool to valorize hydrogeological modeling work done in France. Started in 2014, AQUI-FR aims to bring together within a single digital platform hydrogeological models developed by different research institutes. AQUI-FR thus brings together 8 partners (ENS, CERFACS, BRGM, Ecole des Mines PARIS, Météo France, Géosciences Rennes, LHyges, UMR METIS) with the aim of developing a better knowledge of past, present, and future groundwater resources. AQUI-FR aims to implement forecasts of groundwater evolution in France, on time scales ranging from days to seasons (+6 months), and from atmospheric forecasts via standardized piezometric indicators. The platform also allows to carry out prospective modelling (up to 2100), based on hydrogeological modelling developed and used by water managers when they exist, and to promote the development of these modelling when they do not. A computer structure allows the association of 3 hydrogeological models (EROS, MARTHE, EauDyssée), a water and energy flow model (SURFEX), and an atmospheric analysis system (SAFRAN). The dynamic coupling of the models is provided by the OpenPALM coupler. The AQUI-FR platform is deployed on the operational machines of Météo-France and benefits from its support for daily monitoring. The platform has been used on a total of 14 distributed aquifer applications and 23 applications on karst systems. In the future, other regional models will be integrated to extend the spatial coverage.

Figure 1 : Concept of the AQUI-FR platform.

Responsible entity

Several entities are responsible for the AQUI-FR platform. The Geoscience department of the ENS is the coordinator of the platform.

Institutional setting

As the national model is built on existing hydrogeological applications, each partner remains the owner of its hydrogeological model and the results are available to the general public.

Geographical setting

The simulations from the platform cover 35% of metropolitan France. The EauDyssée model covers Basse-Normandie, Somme, Seine, Loire and four sub-systems: Marne-Loing, Marne-Oise, Seine-Eure, Seine-Oise. The MARTHE model covers Alsace, Basse-Normandie, Nord Pas-de-Calais, Poitou-Charentes, and Somme. Finally, the EROS model covers 23 karst systems (median size 99 km²).

Detailed explanation

The modeling platform represents the main hydrological processes occurring in watersheds, from precipitation to groundwater flow. In its current form, the AQUI-FR system includes three hydrogeological modeling software covering 11 sedimentary aquifers and 23 karst systems: the hydrogeological numerical platform EauDyssée, the MARTHE software and the EROS software used for karst systems. The three software are embedded in an application developed with the OpenPALM coupling syste.

All these models cover an area of about 149,000 km2 and contain up to 10 superimposed aquifer layers. AQUI-FR takes into account spatial heterogeneity by using different spatial scales. The SAFRAN meteorological analysis available over the French metropolitan area at a resolution of 8 km provides meteorological variables to the SURFEX land surface model that evaluates the water balance over the French metropolitan area. SAFRAN provides hourly precipitation (rain and snow), temperature, relative air humidity, wind speed and downward radiation. SURFEX uses these atmospheric variables to solve the surface energy and water balance at the land-atmosphere interface at a scale of 1-2 years and a time step of 5 minutes. SURFEX estimates the spatial distribution of flux between surface runoff and groundwater recharge on the SAFRAN. It accounts for different soil and vegetation types and uses a diffusion scheme to represent heat and water transfer through the soil. The soil in SURFEX is represented by a multilayer approach. Its depth varies according to the vegetation (in France from 0.2 to 3 m) and is partially accessible to plant roots. The infiltration of the soil at depth constitutes the recharge flow of the water table. Surface runoff can occur as a function of excess saturation or excess infiltration. The simulation of the watershed depends on its hydrogeological characteristics. For sedimentary basins, these two flows are transferred to the groundwater models MARTHE or EauDyssée. These models simulate transfer to the unsaturated zone, groundwater flows within and between aquifers, runoff to and in rivers, and river-aquifer exchanges. They also take into account the numerous groundwater withdrawals from river basins. The temporal resolution is daily, and the spatial resolution varies from 100 m to a maximum of 8,000 m. The depth of the deepest aquifer can locally reach about 1,000 m. It should be noted that the hydrogeological models could have been conventionally fed with precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and temperature data from the SAFRAN analysis using their own water balance calculations. However, the combined use of SURFEX and SAFRAN provides a consistent set of hydro-meteorological data on an 8 km resolution grid over France, including groundwater recharge and surface runoff from SURFEX, as well as potential evapotranspiration, precipitation and temperature from SAFRAN. The use of these 8 km resolution flows from SURFEX necessitated recalibration of the hydrogeological models included in the platform. Karst aquifer systems are simulated by a conceptual reservoir modeling approach using EROS software. Each karst system is represented by a reservoir model at a daily time scale. Conceptual approaches are preferred for the simulation of karst systems. Indeed, their heterogeneities make it difficult to use a physics-based approach. EROS uses daily precipitation, snow, temperature and potential evapotranspiration provided by SAFRAN to calculate karst spring flows. Technically, the AQUI-FR hydrogeological modeling platform was developed using the OpenPALM coupling system, which allows easy integration of high-performance computing applications in a flexible and scalable manner. In the OpenPALM framework, applications are divided into elementary components that can exchange data. The AQUI-FR platform is an OpenPALM application that currently includes five components.

A preliminary step is performed to estimate groundwater recharge and surface runoff with SURFEX taking into account SAFRAN atmospheric forcing before launching OpenPALM. This preliminary step gives access to 60 years of daily groundwater recharge and runoff at a regular resolution of 8 km over the entire metropolitan area.

Historical overview

The objectives of the first phase (since 2014) was to show the feasibility of such a tool via the construction of the AQUI-FR computer structure and the first evaluations, as well as to ensure the legal possibilities of exploiting hydrogeological applications in operational, and finally, to identify the elements of interest for the water managers. The construction of the AQUI-FR structure required several steps: (i) to gather the hydrogeological models on the same computer structure that can be mobilized in operational use, (ii) to integrate the different hydrogeological applications available, (iii) to converge towards a homogeneous treatment on a national scale, via at least the use of a common atmospheric forcing, (iv) to recalibrate the applications to make them more compatible with this new forcing.
This work was accompanied by an effort to process the input and output data. An important aspect of the input data is the integration of groundwater withdrawals over the simulated periods, which are difficult to acquire over long periods and for recent periods (2-year delay). The management of output variables requires specific work, taking into account the variables of interest for managers (variable, depth or geological layer, estimation period, estimation domain) and numerical constraints (disk volumes, calculation time). In parallel, two development efforts were carried out, in order to: (i) include a representation of the basement aquifers, with numerical experiments carried out on the Brittany aquifers, and (ii) to allow a correction of the initial states of the aquifers by integrating the available piezometric data.

Evidence of benefits from implementation

The results of the AQUI-FR project confirm the feasibility of bringing together independent hydrogeological models developed in different research institutes in the same coupling platform. All these models were initially developed and calibrated over shorter periods with heterogeneous geological and meteorological databases, but the evaluation of the long-term simulations that has been carried out shows a good comparison with the observations available for the same period. It confirms the relevance of using the AQUI-FR as a tool for long-term impact studies.

Figure 3 : Standardized piezometric level index between observed (a) and simulated (b) piezometers.

The other advantage of this platform is in its modularity. The AQUI-FR platform encourages the development of groundwater modeling where it is lacking and, more generally, it has the potential to be a valuable tool for many applications in water resources management and in water quality studies. research, for example in climate change studies and seasonal forecasts

Replication potential in SUDOE region

The trigger for implementing the practice was the publication of the Explore 2070 project results, which showed a disparate analysis, and thus the idea emerged to harmonize the modeling results to make forecasts. From a technical point of view, few obstacles were encountered. The obstacles encountered were in relation to intellectual property. Indeed, it was necessary to reach an agreement on the sharing of the source code of the Marthe model to implement it on the Météo France platform. On the conceptual side, the models were not perfectly calibrated: some model outputs overlap. From an administrative point of view, it was necessary to convince the regions, because the hydrogeological models were developed within the regional entities of BRGM. Finally, from a functional point of view, the maintenance of the platform requires a permanent researcher per partner. The project was also able to benefit from subsidies (about 100 k€ / year).

Future outlook

In terms of evolution, the project offers several perspectives in terms of: (i) improvement of physical processes: better integration of basement and karst aquifers, and (ii) development: evolution of numerical codes and techniques.

This project also offers prospects for development outside of France, in the French overseas departments and territories, but also prospects within the framework of PEPR (One Water program).

In the future, other regional models will be included to extend the coverage of AQUI-FR (bedrock aquifers located in Brittany). A new modeling method based on a rainfall-runoff model will be used to provide upstream river flows as boundary conditions for the MARTHE models that require it. Finally, since errors in the initial conditions can significantly alter the skill of the forecast, studies dedicated to data assimilation to improve the initial state conditions are also performed in parallel.

Key points of the innovative method

> Multi-model numerical platform
> Daily to seasonal forecasts
> Prospective modeling (up to 2100)

Acknowledgements

The innovative practice was suggested by Jean-Pierre VERGNES (BRGM) who also participated in the interview.

References

Duchaine, F., Jauré, S., Poitou, D., Quémerais, E., Staffelbach, G., Morel, T., and Gicquel, L. (2015). Analysis of high performance conjugate heat transfer with the OpenPALM coupler, Comput. Sci. Discov., 8, 015003, https://doi.org/10.1088/17494699/8/1/015003, 2015.

Habets, F., Amraoui, N., Caballero, Y., Thiéry, D., Vergnes, J-P., Morel, T., Le Moigne, P., Roux, N., de Dreuzy, J-R., Longuevergne, L., Ackerer, P., Maina, F., Besson, F., Etchevers, P., Regimbeau, F., Viennot, P. (2017). Plate-forme de modélisation hydrogéologiques nationale AQUI-FR. Rapport final de 1ère phase 2014-2016. http://www.geosciences.ens.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Rapport_fin_phase1_Aqui-FR_VF.pdf

Habets, F., Amraoui, N., Caballero, Y., Thiéry, D., Vergnes, J-P., Morel, T., Le Moigne, P., Leroux, D., Roux, N., Courtois, Q., de Dreuzy, J-R., Ackerer, P., Besson, F., Etchevers, P., Regimbeau, F., Vincendon, B., Gallois, N., Viennot, P. (2018). Evolution de la ressource en eau souterraine passée, présente et future estimée par AQUI-FR. Rapport d’étape. http://www.geosciences.ens.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/rapport_d_etape_AquiFR_Juil_2018.pdf

Masson, V., Le Moigne, P., Martin, E., Faroux, S., Alias, A., Alkama, R., Belamari, S., Barbu, A., Boone, A., Bouyssel, F., Brousseau, P., Brun, E., Calvet, J.-C., Carrer, D., Decharme, B., Delire, C., Donier, S., Essaouini, K., Gibelin, A.-L., Giordani, H., Habets, F., Jidane, M., Kerdraon, G., Kourzeneva, E., Lafaysse, M., Lafont, S., Lebeaupin Brossier, C., Lemonsu, A., Mahfouf, J.-F., Marguinaud, P., Mokhtari, M., Morin, S., Pigeon, G., Sal gado, R., Seity, Y., Taillefer, F., Tanguy, G., Tulet, P., Vincendon, B., Vionnet, V., and Voldoire, A. (2013). The SURFEXv7.2 land and ocean surface platform for coupled or offline simulation of earth surface variables and fluxes, Geosci. Model Dev., 6, 929–960, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-929-2013

Thiéry, D. (2015a). Code de calcul MARTHE – Modélisation 3D des écoulements dans les hydrosystèmes – Notice d’utilisation de la version 7.5 (MARTHE: Modeling software for groundwater flows), BRGM/RP-64554-FR, BRGM, Orléans.

Thiéry, D. (2018a). Logiciel ÉROS version 7.1 – Guide d’utilisation, Rapport final, BRGM/RP-67704-FR, BRGM, Orléans.

aquifer
news

Discover more on the Aquifer project news and on aquifer management

aquifer news

Description and objectives of the project

The scientific community recommends a substantial improvement in the knowledge of aquifers, the establishment of reliable monitoring networks and a greater involvement of the administration and users to achieve a sustainable management of aquifers. The main objective...

read more

Information on the project

The Llobregat Delta Water Users' Community has designed recharge basins in Molins de Rei to recharge the Baix Llobregat aquifer. View of one of the reloading basins during the test phase The Llobregat Delta Water Users' Community is one of the nine partners in the...

read more

Success stories in groundwater management

Compilation of groundwater management success stories completed. Throughout April, the 30 cases of innovative practices in groundwater management have already been selected by the clusters participating in the project: PPA, CWP and AV. The task started with the...

read more
See all news

PROPOSE AN
INNOVATIVE PRACTICE

You are in charge of an innovative practice regarding aquifer management and you want to referenced it on the Aquifer platform ?

Fulfill the form and propose it to the Aquifer partners.

let's go

THE EBOOK

Aquifer offers a range of innovative water management practices. You can download all our fact sheets here.

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SASS

by | Aug 25, 2022

SASS

Northern Sahara Aquifer System (Algeria, Libya, Tunisia)

SASS

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People in charge of the innovative practice :

Not known

The Northern Sahara Aquifer System (SASS) shared by Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, is a basin that covers an area of nearly 1 million km² and whose water resources are not very renewable. With the objective of establishing sustainable development in the region, the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) has conducted between 1999 and 2015, studies through three projects (SASS I, SASS II, and SASS III). The SASS project, which started in 1999, has thus reached the third phase of its implementation. After having deepened the knowledge of the resource during the previous phases (hydrological and hydrogeological aspects), the third phase focused on water uses (mainly agricultural) and, more generally, on the socio-economic and environmental aspects related to irrigation practices in the basin.

Figure 1 : Northern Sahara Aquifer System (SASS).

These studies allowed a better hydraulic knowledge of the system, the setting up of a common information system and the establishment of a permanent consultation mechanism between the three countries. In addition, these studies have highlighted the fact that the agricultural development in its current form (based on supply), is a source of risks related to the costs of mobilizing water and its salinization as well as the degradation of soil quality. They have also shed light on the lack of efficiency of irrigation and the low value of water. This situation is likely to worsen in the future given the growth in needs and the impacts of climate change. Finally, these projects have produced operational recommendations for sustainable agriculture with the preservation of water and soil resources.

Responsible entity

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) is an international organization that operates in the arid, semi-arid, sub-humid and dry areas of the Sahara-Sahel region. Created in 1992, the OSS has been based in Tunis, Tunisia, since 2000. OSS has 26 African countries and 13 organizations among its members. OSS initiates and facilitates partnerships around common challenges related to shared water resources management, implementation of international agreements on desertification, biodiversity and climate change in the Sahara-Sahel region.
The main actions carried out by the OSS are

  • The implementation of multilateral agreements on desertification, biodiversity and climate change;
  • The promotion of regional and international initiatives related to environmental challenges in Africa;
  • The definition of concepts and harmonization of approaches and methodologies related to sustainable land and water resources management and climate change.

OSS necessarily relies on knowledge transfer, capacity building and awareness raising of all stakeholders.

OSS activities and projects are financed respectively by voluntary contributions from member countries, and by grants and donations from development partners. With effective governance mechanisms and a competent, multicultural and multidisciplinary team, OSS makes a high value-added contribution to the international and African institutional landscape.

Detailed explanation

Different developments were carried out within the framework of the SASS project according to the different phases:

SASS I
Phase I consisted in an improvement of the hydraulic knowledge of the aquifer system. Concretely, this resulted in: (i) the creation of a common database with more than 9,000 water points; (ii) the development of a hydraulic management model to evaluate the impacts of withdrawals on the resource; and (iii) the establishment of a consultation structure at the technical level.

SASS II
The second phase of the SASS project aimed to achieve the following objectives: (i) the realization of two sub-models (Biskra and Western Basin in Algeria) and the model of the Tunisian-Libyan Djeffara; (ii) the establishment of a diagnosis on the agricultural practices; and (iii) the setting up of a Concertation Mechanism at the institutional level between the three countries whose coordination unit is hosted by the OSS.

SASS III

nappes du fossé Rhénan

Figure 2 : Map showing the location of the survey areas.

Phase III consists of two components. The socio-economic component aimed at describing the functioning of the farms and the behavior of the main user, namely the irrigator. It enabled a quantitative and qualitative inventory of irrigated agriculture throughout the basin to be drawn up. After consultation between the OSS and the partners of the three countries, thirteen areas were initially selected for their representativeness of the agricultural, environmental and economic problems observed throughout the basin. In the end, ten areas were investigated. A sample of 3,000 farms was selected from the ten survey areas on the basis of several criteria to ensure its representativeness, including the proportion of irrigated areas, the size of the farms and the type of access to water. Two survey campaigns were conducted on this sample (4139 surveys out of 4500 planned). The survey questionnaire was developed on the basis of twelve themes covering both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the irrigators’ activity. In order to provide decision-makers with an appropriate tool to help them design and implement agricultural development policies through the SASS, a hydro-economic model was developed. It is a tool that explicitly integrates economic calculation into the heart of water resources management by evaluating the goods and services generated by the different agricultural uses of this resource; it allows the simulation of scenarios on a quantified and adequately quantified basis. This hydro-economic model has been designed and made operational thanks to the global and micro-economic data collected and the results obtained from the quantitative analysis. Its application is possible on a regional or local basis within the basin. The model, whose objective is to maximize the income of the whole irrigated activity under appropriate economic and hydraulic constraints, allows to obtain for any scenario constructed: (i) the maximum volume to be pumped from the aquifer, and (ii) the maximum revenue generated. Depending on the results obtained, the decision-maker in the field will thus be able to base his policy on the scenario he prefers.

Figure 3 : Map of the location of the pilot agricultural demonstration sites.

For the agricultural demonstration pilots component, six demonstration pilots, representing four main problems of Saharan agriculture, were selected in close collaboration with the institutions in charge of water management in the three countries. The issues addressed are: (i) water scarcity; (ii) water salinization; (iii) irrigation inefficiency; and (iv) soil quality degradation.

Future outlook

The prospects are to continue to perpetuate the practice, and to manage to reverse the trend of depletion of water resources, but the process involving three different countries is long.

Institutional setting

The stakeholders of the project are OSS as the project owner. The first phase of the SASS project was carried out with the support of SDC Switzerland, IFAD, FAO, UNESCO and GIZ. The second phase was carried out with the support of SDC Switzerland, FFEM (France), Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNESCO and GIZ. The third and final phase was carried out with the support of the FGEF and the GEF.

Geographical setting

The SASS is a deep aquifer shared between Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The SASS designates a complex superposition of aquifers with two main layers housed in two different geological formations: the Continental Intercalary (CI or Albian) and the Terminal Complex (TC). The SASS extends over one million km² and contains considerable water reserves, but they are not very renewable and cannot be fully exploited. The situation of overexploitation, confirmed by the model set up by the OSS SASS project, has exposed the SASS to increased risks of water salinization, disappearance of artesianism, and drying up of outlets. The SASS area covers regions ranging from desert areas (with annual rainfall <100 mm and evapotranspiration >3000 mm) to arid areas (with annual rainfall of 100-200 mm and evapotranspiration of the order of 2000-2500 mm).

Historical overview

1950s-1960s: Tunisia and Algeria noted a drop in pressure in their hydraulic works.

Years 1970-1980: ERES project, for the study of the water resources of the Northern Sahara.

From 1999 to 2002, a first study was carried out, within the natural limits of the basin, which was until then apprehended on a national scale or in the framework of bilateral collaborations. In 2003, new studies to consolidate knowledge on hydraulic aspects and agricultural diagnoses were launched. They shed light on the lack of efficiency of irrigation, the poor use of water and the degradation of soil quality. This observation highlighted the fragility and unsustainability of the cropping systems prevailing in the SASS basin. In 2006 and following a process led by OSS during the previous study phases, the three countries set up a common management framework, the Concertation Mechanism, with the mission of carrying out a concerted policy for sustainable groundwater management at the basin level. The overexploitation of the System, with the environmental and socio-economic risks that this implies, led the countries to agree on objectives to control water demand, improve its productivity and protect the environment. Efforts have focused on the agricultural sector, which is the largest user of groundwater in the basin. In 2009, OSS initiated the third phase of the project. This third phase of the SASS project developed recommendations for the implementation of a basin-wide sustainable land and groundwater resources management strategy.

Evidence of benefits from implementation

The SASS project has resulted in significant water savings of up to 45% and a tenfold increase in farmers’ income.

Socio-economic component
The considerable number of farms surveyed has opened the field of knowledge of the behavior of agricultural water uses and users in the three SASS countries. The analysis of the data has made it possible to quantify the impact of salinization on water productivity and the effect of the price of water on its consumption. The considerable contribution of the socio-economic component was, on the one hand, to allow a readability of the viability of the exploitation when the quality of the water is degraded and to give simple economic indicators which must alert the decision makers. On the other hand, the study highlighted the importance of structural factors for the viability of farms. In particular, it emphasized the importance of the social organization of the farm (involvement of the family workforce, level of education of the farmers, experience in irrigation, farmer/breeder combination) as a determining factor in water productivity. The socio-economics component showed that it was possible to value water in a sustainable way, provided that the determining factors of the farmer’s behavior were taken into account: who consumes water, in what order and how. In this approach, it was also shown that in the SASS, the main users of water were the farmers with individual access by private drilling. This category of farmers is also the one that produces the most wealth per m3 of water. The relatively high water productivity of the “private” group is thought to be due to the fact that paying for water makes the farmer more efficient.

Demonstration pilots
This component had a primarily agri-environmental focus, however, it is important to note that an innovative social approach achieved through multi-stakeholder consultation and participation contributed to the achievement of the objectives. Farmers, as the main decision-makers, were strongly involved in the realization of the work in an exemplary synergy with the partner research institutions. The pilots demonstrated that it is possible to convince farmers to adopt sustainable water and soil management practices, including more efficient irrigation. They have also demonstrated to farmers, in a concrete way, that it is possible to make better use of water while preserving the ecosystem.

The pragmatic and pedagogical way of convincing farmers made them willing to pay for irrigation water and to invest in better efficiency. It was the perception of the value of water that changed for the farmers. The pilots promoted dialogue between farmers and acted as a vehicle for agricultural extension and the dissemination of innovations. On the other hand, they have facilitated the social acceptability of innovations. These dynamics are promising and can help revitalize interest in irrigated agriculture in certain regions throughout the basin. The “agricultural demonstration pilots” component has paved the way for improved living conditions for farmers, stabilization of populations and better conservation of the resource.

Replication potential in SUDOE region

The main success factors of the project were to reach a consensus between the three countries to face this problem. On the other hand, the support of a structure such as the OSS, which listens to the countries and their needs, makes it possible to encourage better management of the transboundary resource. We also note in this project a strong involvement of the civil society. Even if the project has been able to benefit from subsidies (each year, each country contributes 30k€), one of the problems raised is the lack of financial means for the field part. Human resources are dedicated to the daily management of this practice, including units of coordinations to organize training workshops, water workshops. This type of project also has a strong potential for replication for trans-regional water resource management issues.

Key points of the innovative method

> Mechanism of dialogue between countries
> Pedagogy of proximity with the farmers
> Social acceptability
> Socio-economic approach

Acknowledgements

The innovative practice was suggested by Yvan KEDAJ (Aqua-Valley) and Abdel Kader DODO, Lamine BABA SY, and Nabil BEN KHATRA (OSS) participated in the interview.

References

OSS (2003). Système Aquifère du Sahara Septentrional : Hydrogéologie, volume II. ISBN : 9973-856-00-7

OSS (2003). Système Aquifère du Sahara Septentrional : Modèle mathématique, volume IIII. ISBN : 9973-856-02-3

OSS (2008). Système Aquifère du Sahara Septentrional : gestion commune d’un bassin transfrontalier. ISBN : 978-9973-856-31-9

OSS (2015). Pour une meilleure valorisation de l’eau d’irrigation dans le bassin du SASS. Diagnostic et recommandations. https://www.riob.org/fr/file/287377/download?token=xJ5UvckF – consulté en ligne le 17 janvier 2022.

INTERNET REFERENCES:

Ressources du projet SASS : http://www.oss-online.org/fr/publications?field_publication_year_value%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=&field_publication_theme_value=Gestion+des+ressources+en+eau&field_publication_project_value=&field_publication_type_value=&combine=
OSS : http://www.oss-online.org/
DDC Suisse : https://www.eda.admin.ch/deza/fr/home.html
FIDA : https://www.ifad.org/en/
FAO : https://www.fao.org/home/en/
UNESCO : https://en.unesco.org/
GIZ : https://www.giz.de/en/html/index.html
FFEM : https://www.ffem.fr/fr
GEF : http://www.thegef.org/
PNUE : https://www.unep.org/

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Description and objectives of the project

The scientific community recommends a substantial improvement in the knowledge of aquifers, the establishment of reliable monitoring networks and a greater involvement of the administration and users to achieve a sustainable management of aquifers. The main objective...

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The Llobregat Delta Water Users' Community has designed recharge basins in Molins de Rei to recharge the Baix Llobregat aquifer. View of one of the reloading basins during the test phase The Llobregat Delta Water Users' Community is one of the nine partners in the...

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Success stories in groundwater management

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GICRESAIT

by | Aug 25, 2022

GICRESAIT

Integrated and concerted management of water resources of the aquifer systems of Iullemeden, Taoudéni/Tanezrouft and the Niger River

GICRESAIT

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GICRESAIT is a replication of the Geo-Aquifer project which focuses on the integrated and concerted management of water resources of the Iullemeden, Taoudéni/Tanezrouft and Niger River aquifer systems. The project, led by the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and conducted between 2010 and 2016, focused on the entire basin of the Iullemeden-Taoudéni-Tanezrouft Aquifer System (SAIT) which forms a single transboundary aquifer system. The objective of the project was to significantly improve the concerted and sustainable management of the water resources of the SAIT as well as that of the Niger River in a context of climate change.

The GICRESAIT project was based on a participatory approach with all stakeholders and has three components:

  1. Improving the knowledge of the SAIT;
  2. Assessment of the vulnerability of SAIT and the establishment of a consultation framework;
  3. Capacity building, awareness and communication.

The main steps in this project were:

  • The collection of data related to hydrogeology, the water cycle and reservoirs from technical services in charge of water resources management in the seven riparian countries, international and sub-regional research organizations as well as from internationally recognized experts;
  • The setting up of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and of a structured and homogeneous database for the whole basin;
  • The use of Earth observation data and Digital Terrain Models (DTM) to help model recharge and crop water withdrawals;
  • Spatial modeling of the aquifer system.

Responsible entity

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) is an international organization that operates in the arid, semi-arid, sub-humid and dry areas of the Sahara-Sahel region. Created in 1992, the OSS has been based in Tunis (Tunisia) since 2000. OSS has 26 African countries, 7 non-African countries, and 13 organizations among its members. OSS initiates and facilitates partnerships around common challenges related to shared water resources management, implementation of international agreements on desertification, biodiversity and climate change in the Sahara and Sahel region.
The main actions carried out by the OSS are

  • The implementation of multilateral agreements on desertification, biodiversity and climate change;
  • The promotion of regional and international initiatives related to environmental challenges in Africa;
  • The definition of concepts and harmonization of approaches and methodologies related to sustainable land and water resources management and climate change.

OSS necessarily relies on knowledge transfer, capacity building and awareness raising of all stakeholders.
OSS activities and projects are financed respectively by voluntary contributions from member countries, and by grants and donations from development partners. With effective governance mechanisms and a competent, multicultural and multidisciplinary team, OSS makes a high value-added contribution to the international and African institutional landscape.

Detailed explanation

The management practice implemented in the GICRESAIT project is based on different steps.

Hydrogeological investigations
Investigations were used to highlight the presence of areas that appear to have particular potential for groundwater exploitation: (i) either a connection with surface water, which ensures a regular supply that sustains the water resource, even during episodes of rainfall deficit due to climate variations. These are:

  • The interior delta of the Niger River in Mali;
  • The downstream sector of the Dallols in Niger and Nigeria;
  • The Mouhoun basin upstream of the Gondo plain in Burkina Faso;
  • The Gao Gap in Mali and Niger.

Either (ii) the high strength of the aquifer formations and their permeability, which lead to the possibility of high unit flows in the catchment works. These are:

  • The Tahoua sector in Niger;
  • The southern sector of the Dhar de Néma in Mauritania;
  • The Nara ditch in Mali.

Data base
The objective here was to create a simple and user-friendly tool to allow the database managers (OSS and partner countries) to consult and valorize the data from the water points in a transboundary context. The database has made it possible to integrate information on approximately 123,000 water points (time series of levels for the available piezometers), rainfall data (monthly rainfall levels from 1960 to 2011 for 50 stations), hydrological data (quarterly average ratings and monthly average flows from 1960 to 2012 for 5 stations on the Niger River).
Among the water points integrated in the database, some points have no altitude information, and for others it is uncertain. Thus, a specific tool was developed based on the use of a DTM (Digital Topographic Model) to compensate for this deficiency. The altitudes of the water points allow to have a unique reference and can be used to elaborate geo-referenced piezometric sections and maps.

Use of geo-spatial data
An assessment of the available geo-spatial data for the area was conducted and the data was selected to provide a comprehensive and undisturbed representation of the SAIT area. The geo-spatial data selected were:

  • MODIS for land cover mapping at 1:2,000,000 scale;
  • GlobCover data (ESA GlobCover project) in support;
  • LANDSAT for land cover mapping at a scale of 1:200,000 on a South-North transect as a pilot area;
  • SRTM v4.1 data for the DTM in order to have a homogeneous and continuous topography on the intervention area.

Modeling of the SAIT system
The Aquifer Systems of Iullemeden, Taoudéni-Tanezrouft have therefore been modeled according to two distinct mathematical models. However, in order to guarantee geological continuity, the western part of the SAI model has been extended to the eastern part of the SAT, over a 125,000 km2 strip with identical hydrodynamic characteristics (Gao Graben).
The mathematical model was developed to establish the water balance of the entire SAIT: (i) to define the hydraulic relationships between groundwater and the Niger River flows, and (ii) to simulate the behavior of groundwater resources in the face of climatic variations, particularly in the event of a decrease in rainfall.

Vulnerability assessment
Two main axes were studied by the managers, namely: (i) the drop in aquifer levels caused by climatic stress and increasing exploitation of the resource, and (ii) chemical and bacteriological pollution of aquifers by human activities.
A risk information system, built from the SIRIS (Scores Interaction Risk Information System) method, integrated both the “physical” constraints of the aquifer systems and their environment (recharge, permeability, water depth, free/captive) as well as the anthropic pressures (populations, water demand, well density). The results of the studies have led to a mapping of vulnerable and at-risk areas, which are therefore priority sectors for management.

Monitoring and evaluation indicators
Monitoring and evaluation indicators have been proposed in order to: (i) better understand the social and development dynamics in the SAIT area, (ii) monitor the effects of these dynamics on the environment and on the aquifer systems, (iii) identify the actions to be taken in terms of development and preservation.

The indicators proposed for monitoring were:

  • Driving force indicators: population, agricultural areas, census of wells, boreholes and dams, industrial activities, livestock;
  • Pressure indicators: quantity of pesticide, volume of production of factories, etc. 

Institutional setting

The stakeholders of the GICRESAIT project are:

The OSS as project owner, and the technical services of the seven riparian countries:

  • The National Agency for Hydraulic Resources (ANRH, Algeria);
  • The General Directorate of Water (Benin);
  • The General Directorate of Water Resources (Burkina Faso);
  • The National Directorate of Hydraulics (Mali);
  • The National Centre for Water Resources (Niger);
  • The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (Nigeria);

Project partners and financiers:

  • The Niger Basin Authority;
  • The AGRHYMET Regional Center;
  • The African Water Facility;
  • The French Global Environment Facility.

Geographical setting

The study area of the GICRESAIT project covers an area of 2.6 million km² shared by 7 countries:

  • Algeria (450,952 km²; 17%)
  • Benin (57,338 km²; 2%)
  • Burkina Faso (130,174 km²; 5%)
  • Mali (1 089 407 km²; 41%)
  • Mauritania (256,374 km²; 10%)
  • Niger (524,813 km²; 20%)
  • Nigeria (120 272 km²; 5%)

The system studied is the Iullemeden, Taoudéni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System (SAIT) and the Niger River, which is a collection of several groundwater aquifers located in geological formations dating from the Primary to the Quaternary period. The groundwater resources considered are those of the intercalary continental aquifers dated from the Upper Cretaceous and the terminal continental aquifers dated from the Tertiary to the Quaternary. The main course of the Niger River crosses the aquifer system over nearly 2,480 km, 1,700 km of which are in Mali (forming a floodplain called the interior delta), 540 km in Niger, 140 km in Benin in the form of the border with Niger, and nearly 100 km in Nigeria (crossing the Sokoto basin). The SAIT system basin is characterized by several climates, from north to south: arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid. Annual rainfall fluctuates from over 1,000 mm in the south to less than 100 mm in the north of the basin.

Historical overview

The first studies of the Iullemeden Aquifer System (IAS; 2004-2009) led to the adoption of a memorandum of understanding creating a consultation mechanism for the management of the Iullemeden Aquifer System by the Ministers in charge of water in Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
In 2013, a diagnostic study on the general, legal, and institutional framework of the countries was conducted during the GICRESAIT project.
Its results were the subject of a meeting of the ministers in charge of water resources of the SAIT, held in Abuja in March 2014, which resulted in an agreement in principle on the protocol for the creation of a consultation mechanism, with a legal personality, for the integrated and concerted management of water resources of the SAIT.

Evidence of benefits from implementation

The project has identified the presence of sectors that have a particular potential for groundwater exploitation due to either:

  • A connection with surface water, which ensures a regular supply that supports the water resource, even during episodes of rainfall deficit;
  • Important and very permeable aquifer formations.

Figure 2 : Map of areas identified as having high groundwater potential.

Replication potential in SUDOE region

The practice has the potential to be reproduced if that sufficient data (piezometric, rainfall) are available to feed the mathematical model.

It should be noted that this type of project applies preferentially to transboundary aquifers and their governance and resource sharing issues. This type of project presents an interesting potential for replication in the context of a downscaling for transregional management issues.

This type of project also requires significant financial support since the project has received financial support from the African Water Facility (AWF) and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) for 1.7 M€.

Future outlook

The work carried out within the framework of the GICRESAIT project is a first step on the scale of the transboundary basin and complementary work is necessary to deepen the knowledge of the sectors with strong potential identified.

The indicators developed within the framework of the project are intended to be expanded as national IWRM progresses in the SAIT areas and integrated into a monitoring framework for this integrated management strategy.

As a result of the project findings, OSS has proposed the development of a regional master plan containing planned actions for the resources of the Niger River, included in the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP).

The planned actions are:

  • To establish a regional diagnosis on the current and future water needs of the countries by 2030 and 2040 in terms of drinking, agricultural and industrial water supply, in relation to adaptation to climate change;
  • Identify the potential for agricultural, mining and industrial development by country;
  • Plan water allocation from high potential areas by 2030 and 2040 and related investments;
  • Strengthen the role and action of a consultation mechanism.

These actions are aimed at:

  • The progressive satisfaction of the water needs of the populations;
  • The development of the basin’s arable land, estimated at over 137 million hectares;
  • The improvement of the quantitative and qualitative food security of the countries;
  • The establishment of a transboundary regional infrastructure promoting economic development;
  • The creation of jobs and increased income for farmers.

However, capacity building of staff and technical services is needed to contribute to the development of a regional master plan for the allocation of shared water resources.

Key points of the innovative method

> Integrated management of a transboundary aquifer
> Identification of areas with high groundwater exploitation potential
> Concerted management mechanism

Acknowledgements

The innovative practice was suggested by Yvan KEDAJ (Aqua-Valley) and Abdel Kader DODO, Lamine BABA SY, and Nabil BEN KHATRA (OSS) participated in the interview.

References

OSS (2014). Gestion intégrée et concertée des ressources en eau du système aquifère Iullemeden – Taoudéni – Tanezrouft. Plaidoyer GICRESAIT : http://www.oss-online.org/sites/default/files/OSS-GICRESAIT-plaidoyer.pdf – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022.

OSS (2017). Note aux décideurs. La mobilisation des eaux souterraines du Système Aquifère d’Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft, un élément de solution ? : http://www.oss-online.org/sites/default/files/OSS-GICRSAIT-Note-Decideurs_Fr.pdf – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022.

OSS (2017). Gestion Intégrée et Concertée des ressources en eau du système aquifère d’Iullemeden Taoudéni-Tanezrouft et du fleuve Niger. Synthèse finale : http://www.oss-online.org/sites/default/files/OSS-GICRESAIT-SynthFinale_Fr.pdf – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022.

OSS (2017). Atlas des ressources en eau du système Aquifère transfrontalier d’Iullemeden, Taoudéni-Tanezrouft : http://www.oss-online.org/sites/default/files/OSS-GICRESAIT-Atlas.pdf – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022.

INTERNET REFERENCES:

Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel : http://www.oss-online.org/
GICRESAIT-fiche projet : http://www.oss-online.org/gicresait/ – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022.

aquifer
news

Discover more on the Aquifer project news and on aquifer management

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Description and objectives of the project

The scientific community recommends a substantial improvement in the knowledge of aquifers, the establishment of reliable monitoring networks and a greater involvement of the administration and users to achieve a sustainable management of aquifers. The main objective...

read more

Information on the project

The Llobregat Delta Water Users' Community has designed recharge basins in Molins de Rei to recharge the Baix Llobregat aquifer. View of one of the reloading basins during the test phase The Llobregat Delta Water Users' Community is one of the nine partners in the...

read more

Success stories in groundwater management

Compilation of groundwater management success stories completed. Throughout April, the 30 cases of innovative practices in groundwater management have already been selected by the clusters participating in the project: PPA, CWP and AV. The task started with the...

read more
See all news

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Sustain-COAST

by | Aug 24, 2022

Sustain-COAST

Sustainable management of coastal groundwater and pollution reduction through innovative governance in a context of climate change

Sustain-COAST

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SUstain-COAST is a research project co-funded under the PRIMA 2018 section II program, for a period of 3 years from June 2019. The consortium is led by the Technical University of Crete (TUC) and consists of a multidisciplinary team of seven partners from six countries. The project intends to develop a calibrated multi-criteria decision support system (DSS) and a web-based geographic information system platform accessible to water stakeholders and policy makers. The DSS and the platform, combined with a specific animation activity, will allow: (i) the engagement of social actors in a learning process around water issues at the watershed scale, based on the visualization of interactive thematic maps, (ii) the use of advanced technologies and tools, such as optical sensors and remote sensing capabilities for participatory water monitoring, and (iii) the use of calibrated numerical models for the spatio-temporal simulation of water quantity and quality evolution. Sustain-COAST thus explores new governance approaches to effectively support the conservation of coastal aquifers against anthropogenic and climatic pressures, through the promotion of innovative water management concepts based on the 4R principles: Reduce; Recycle; Reuse and Recover.
Although various measures have been taken by the administrations and agencies of the Mediterranean countries to promote a more integrated and sustainable management of coastal water resources, various management weaknesses persist: pollution from industrial and agricultural activities and poor wastewater treatment (Tunisia), water misuse from the agricultural/tourism sector and marine intrusions (Greece), excessive consumption by the agricultural sector (Turkey), and conflict between farmers and fishermen over eutrophication problems in wetlands used for both aquaculture and agricultural activities (Italy). These four countries seek to contribute to the improvement of the governance of Mediterranean coastal water resources through a collaborative research project that is designed to explore, design and test innovative governance approaches for coastal groundwater resources in the Mediterranean by promoting stakeholder dialogue and – decentralization and civil society engagement in decision-making processes.

The overall objectives of SUSTAIN-COAST are:

  • Design and test innovative governance approaches for Mediterranean coastal water resources;
  • Improve water resources management;
  • Mitigating pollution of water resources;
  • Application of good governance principles: equity, legitimacy, efficiency, transparency and accountability;
  • Decentralization, engagement of civil society in decision-making processes, engagement of the private sector in strong public-private partnerships.

The project is organized around 4 founding pillars:

  • Strengthening desirable coastal water resources management options;
  • Prevention of coastal groundwater pollution;
  • Active engagement of relevant stakeholders in a social learning process;
  • Strengthening monitoring, communication and dissemination activities.

The project is innovative in that it actively engages stakeholders throughout the basin in a social learning process and spatio-temporally predicts groundwater flow and pollutant transfer based on prevention and mitigation options suggested by stakeholders and climate change scenarios.

Responsible entity

The Technical University of Crete (UTC) is the coordinator of the SUSTAIN-COAST project. UTC has over 6000 students and 115 faculty members. UTC consists of five engineering schools and conducts research in advanced technological fields in collaboration with other research institutes and industries. The SUSTAIN-COAST project is carried out at the School of Environmental Engineering (EnvEng). Research at EnvEng aims to develop innovative solutions to the most daunting environmental challenges. Whether it is waste management, future energy needs, water resources or climate change, EnvEng’s research efforts are strengthened by creative collaborations with leading research institutes and universities around the world. Through various national and international projects, EnvEng has developed significant expertise in coastal groundwater resource management in relation to numerical modeling activities and GIS tools. These topics are directly related to the Sustain-COAST challenges.

Institutional setting

The need to implement innovative governance of coastal aquifers, taking into account technological development as well as socio-economic factors, has become a global necessity. In line with the challenges and scope of theme 1.1.2 of the PRIMA call “Sustainable and Integrated Water Management”, Sustain-COAST has been designed to explore innovative approaches to coastal aquifer governance among multiple water users and beneficiaries, under the uncertainties posed by changing climatic conditions, in four Mediterranean countries.
The technical partners of the project are the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (Germany), the Euro-Mediterranean Information System on Water Expertise (SEMIDE, France), the University of Strasbourg (UNISTRA, France), the University of Sassari (Italy), the Center for Research and Technology in Water (CERTE, Tunisia), the University of Mersin (Turkey).
A scientific council has also been appointed with institutes (GWP, CIHEAM – Bari institute, UFM – Union for the Mediterranean) and companies (Ambienta).

Geographical setting

The project takes place in 4 study sites, called “Living labs”: Arborea (Italy), Wadi El Bey (Tunisia), Malia (Greece), and Erdemli (Turkey).

Arborea (Italy): The case study is located in a 60 km2 area under the domain of the Consorzio di Bonificadell’Oristanese, a local consortium controlled by the regional administration that is responsible for the distribution of irrigation water supplied by the Eleonora d’Arborea dam, one of the largest in Europe. Agricultural systems range from dairy cattle breeding in a nitrate vulnerable area (the municipality of Arborea) to rice cultivation (over 3,000 ha), horticulture and other rain-fed agricultural activities. Water is key to the economic development of the district: the cooperative system of Arborea is the most important dairy industry on the island, with more than 300 million euros of annual gross income, struggling between the market crisis and the environmental restrictions of effluent management in an area that was drained in the 1930s with a very shallow water table and sandy soil. Rice cultivation is one of the largest consumers of water per unit area in the district, while providing not only food but especially rice seed. Horticulture is one of the main operations on the island, producing artichokes, melons and many other valuable crops.
Wadi El Bey (Tunisia): The Wadi El Bey pilot site is located about 40 km south of the Tunisian capital. It covers an area of 430 km². It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Tunis and the hills of Tekelsa, to the west by the mountains of Bouchoucha and Halloufa, to the south by the hills of Hammamet, and to the east by the mountain of Abderrahman and the highlands of the eastern coast. The main wadi of this pilot site flows into the Sebkha El Maleh, which is close to the Mediterranean Sea. This pilot site contains various industries operating mainly in the field of textiles and food processing. In addition, it contains extensively cultivated areas (citrus, oranges, grapes and vegetables). The site is characterized by a high level of pollution due to the important development of industrial, agricultural and tourist activities. The main sources of pollution are industrial and agricultural activities and inadequate wastewater treatment.

Malia (Greece): The Malia watershed is located in northern Crete, Greece, 40 km east of the city of Heraklion. Surface and groundwater are used to support the extensive agricultural activity of the area, while in the last 20 years, increased tourism development has resulted in a significant demand for water consumption. The region’s water resources are very important to its inhabitants as they cover their drinking water needs and their well-being depends on agricultural and tourism activities that consume large amounts of water. As a result, groundwater levels have been significantly reduced over the past 30 years, resulting in significant saltwater intrusion into the groundwater. Water quality in the area has been significantly degraded due to the massive saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. As a result, high concentrations of Cl- are found in the groundwater, which, in conjunction with excessive pumping, leads to lower aquifer levels and groundwater degradation. In addition, increased concentrations of nitrates are also found in groundwater due to extensive agricultural activity in the area.

Erdemli (Turkey): The Erdemli coastal aquifer is located about 30 km west of downtown Mersin (in SE Turkey), covering an area of 45 km2. The population of Erdemli district is 140,331 people, the majority of whom are mainly engaged in agricultural activities. A significant part of the area is made up of agricultural areas such as greenhouses and citrus orchards. The southern part of the ACE area, which is very close to the Mediterranean coast, is mainly composed of alluvial deposits, while the northern highlands are composed of carbonate rocks with many karst features (e.g. sinkholes, caves, etc.). In the region, mainly in the Mediterranean coastal areas, groundwater from the coastal aquifer is used extensively to meet domestic and agricultural irrigation water demands. The main problems in the region are the intensive use of groundwater, the decrease in the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater due to increasing droughts, agricultural activities, and the lack of water quality.

Detailed explanation

The management practice is developed around a multi-criteria DAS (GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis method) and multi-actor platforms (Living Labs). The DAS is based on multi-criteria factors including local and specific social, economic, technical and environmental constraints. This system is designed and implemented for each case study. The decision rules for the implementation of the DAS depend on quantitative data derived from weighted GIS (Geographic Information System) layers and thematic maps are created for each main criterion. At a later stage, sensitivity and suitability maps are produced using a weighted overlay method in GIS based on the weighted thematic maps. Finally, several “what-if” scenarios are developed and evaluated, considering a wide variety of water management issues, such as satisfaction assessment, water pricing, water saving suggestions to users, new infrastructure proposal and their impact. The ranking of these different alternatives in order of preference can also take place through the use of DAS by considering the principles of game theory in terms of a zero-sum game.

The data sources are scanned and transferred into a GIS tool (ArcGIS), and all data layers are georeferenced with the same projection system. Then all necessary data in the layers will be digitized using the Arc Editor tool. After digitizing the data, vector maps are created for each factor and the attributes are entered manually (lithology, land use and soil type, transmissibility, piezometric water levels and water quality parameters) or calculated automatically (distance to lineaments, springs and wells, water bodies) using the ArcGIS tools. All created vector layers are converted to raster format and each sub-criterion is weighted by the value of the assessment. The last action is the creation of the suitability map using the Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) aggregation method with the special data available for each case study area that may cause stress on groundwater pollution.

nappes du fossé Rhénan

Finally, a multi-stakeholder platform involving relevant actors, based on participatory and interactive sessions – Living Labs – is designed and implemented by the partners in each case study. The main stakeholders interested in the implementation of an innovative governance of the studied sites, taking into account their priorities but also their constraints, are taken into consideration. Consolidating and maintaining the active involvement of the main socio-economic actors concerned (ensuring a public-private-popular partnership) through their early involvement in the overall management and effective governance of the coastal aquifers of the selected case study sites are two of the objectives of Sustain-COAST. To this end, five living labs in each case study are co-designed and organized. The ultimate goal of this task is to promote social learning spaces, where integrated scientific and local knowledge is developed to support decision makers in designing adaptive pathways for local communities regarding sustainable water resource systems.

Historical overview

Two main triggers initiated the setting up of this project. First, climate change and its impacts on the groundwater resources of the selected study sites, and second, the absence and lack of data sharing among stakeholders.
No major obstacles were encountered during the project set-up phase. During the implementation phase, the obstacles encountered concerned the commitment of public decision-makers, access to data, and the management of the participatory approach in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The main key factors of implementation were the Grenelle II law (n°2010-788) of July 12, 2010 and the need to delimit the protection areas of the catchments for drinking water and to set up action programs on these catchment areas.
The main obstacles were the lack of lobbying, as the estimation of the groundwater residence time was not imposed, and the financial leverage as this innovative method requires an expertise with a certain cost that can slow down its use.

Evidence of benefits from implementation

There are no benefits to the use of this management practice yet since the project is still in progress. However, interesting first results on the characterization of the demonstration sites and on the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of some prevention scenarios have been published on the project’s institutional website.

Replication potential in SUDOE region

The project has a strong potential for replication (Mediterranean or wider) as it touches different stakeholders and different groundwater issues that are common to other regions. The financial cost of such a project is 1.12 M€, with about 15 people (6 countries, 7 partners) dedicated to the implementation of the solution. Each partner was able to benefit from subsidies via the PRIMA program.

Future outlook

The short-term perspective of the project is to extend it by one year because it has been strongly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. In the longer term, the objective is to valorize the Sustain-COAST results by creating new projects (2 PRIMA projects have been created INTheMED and AgreeMED), and to transfer tools and practices to the groundwater resources managers of the demonstration sites.

Key points of the innovative method

> Multi-partner project
> New governance approach to protect coastal aquifers
> Living laboratories for a participatory approach
> Civil society engagement in the decision-making process
> Social learning process

Acknowledgements

The innovative practice was suggested by Yvan KEDAJ (Aqua-Valley) and Maroua OUESLATI (SEMIDE) participated in the interviews.

References

Sustain-Coast (2020). Deliverable 2.1 : Report on the real sites characterization : https://www.sustain-coast.tuc.gr/fileadmin/users_data/project_sustain_coast/Sustain-COAST_D2.1__1_.pdf – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022.

Ben-Salem, N., Wachholz, A., Rode, M., Borchardt, D., Jomaa, S. (2020). Evaluation of three global gradient-based groundwater models in the Mediterranean Region. EGU General Assembly 2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-8237

Karatzas, G., Vozinaki, A-E., Anyfanti, I., Stylianoydaki, C., Varouchakis, E., Goumas, C., Roggero, P-P., Mellah, T., Akrout, H., Jomaa, S. (2021). Living labs towards sustainable groundwater management: case study in Malia, Crete, Greece. EGU General Assembly 2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-7941

INTERNET REFERENCES:

Site web du projet : https://www.sustain-coast.tuc.gr/en/home – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
Publications liées au projet Sustain-COAST : https://www.sustain-coast.tuc.gr/en/dissemination/publications-and-scientific-articles – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
PRIMA : https://www.horizon2020.gouv.fr/cid137439/publication-de-l-appel-2019-du-programme-prima.html – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
Université Technologique de Crête : https://www.tuc.gr/index.php?id=5397 – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research : https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=33573 – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
SEMIDE : http://www.semide.net/fr – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
Université de Strasbourg : https://www.unistra.fr/ – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
Université de Sassari : https://en.uniss.it/about-uniss/francais/luniversite-de-sassari – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
CERTE : http://www.certe.rnrt.tn/ – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022
Université de Mersin : http://www.mersin.edu.tr/ – consulté en ligne le 14 janvier 2022

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