Role: Partner PI
REF: WATER4ALL22_00061 (European Commission – MUR)
Period: 2023 – 2025 (36 months)
Keywords: water cycle, irrigation, groundwater recharge
Partners:
- Università di Padova
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
- Institut National De Recherche Pour L’agriculture, L’alimentation Et L’environnement, France
- Politechnika Gdanska (GUT)
- Stellenbosch University (STELLENBOSCH)
- Technion – Israel Institute Of Technology (TECHNION)
Total Budget: 449k€
Internal budget: 114k€
Description: Future climate changes, population growth, and land use trends are intensifying risks to environmental and human water security worldwide. Droughts are becoming more frequent, as evidenced by severe events in Europe and South Africa, threatening water availability for consumption, agriculture, industry, and ecosystems. Strengthening water supply systems against drought is critical, with groundwater emerging as a key solution. Unlike surface reservoirs, groundwater is less vulnerable to evaporation and contamination, making it vital in arid regions and areas experiencing reduced rainfall and snowfall.
However, land use changes, over-extraction, and agricultural pollution have significantly diminished groundwater recharge and quality. AQUIGROW aims to address these challenges by:
Quantifying recharge fluxes in aquifers across Europe, Israel, and South Africa.
Identifying sustainability challenges in aquifer management under current practices, land use changes, and climate scenarios.
Developing tools and strategies to enhance recharge rates and groundwater quality, boosting storage capacity and resilience during droughts.
To achieve these goals, AQUIGROW will:
Provide stakeholders with advanced hydrological models integrating plant, irrigation, and land management processes, supported by Earth Observation data.
Test and deploy managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and soil aquifer treatment (SAT) techniques at pilot sites in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Address social, cultural, and regulatory barriers to MAR and SAT adoption, offering solutions to improve acceptance and policy integration.
The project will enhance water resource management across diverse climates, co-developing methods to address hydrological, agricultural, and ecological droughts. By promoting joint management of blue (aquifers, rivers, lakes) and green (soil moisture) water, AQUIGROW seeks to balance water demands for ecosystems, human use, and agriculture. Its outcomes will benefit stakeholders like utilities, farmers, and irrigation authorities, ultimately ensuring secure, sustainable water for all.
