Sustainable management of groundwater by Earth observation technologies
C. Meisina, L. Pedretti, M. Rygus
University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
R. Boń
University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
P. Teatini, C. Zoccarato, Y. Li
University of Padova, Padova, Italy
C. Guardiola-Albert, P. Ezquerro, G. Bru
Istituto Geologico y Minero de Espana, Madrid, Spain
R. Tomas, J. Valdes-Abellan, C. Pla, M. Navarro-Hernandez
University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
A. Elci, E. A. Batkan, B. Caylak, A. Oren
Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey
K. Shatanawi, A. Hind Mohammad, H. Abu Hajar
The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
T. Letterio, R. Genovesi
Consorzio di Bonifica di Secondo Grado per il Canale Emiliano Romagnolo, Italy
H. Hreisha, Q. Mimi
Azraq Wetland Reserve, The Royal Socity for the Conservation of Nature, Jordan
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the first results of the RESERVOIR project, financed by the PRIMA Foundation.
The project aims to develop an innovative methodology for the hydrogeological characterization of
large-scale aquifer systems using satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) techniques; to integrate
advanced EO techniques into numerical groundwater flow and geomechanical models; to enhance the
knowledge on the impacts of agricultural and tourist activities on water resources by quantifying
land displacement; to engage water management authorities and provide models for optimal management
of the aquifer systems. Four water-stressed Mediterranean areas (i.e. the coastal aquifer of Comacchio
in Italy, the Alto Guadalentín basin in Spain, the Gediz River basin in Turkey and the Azraq basin
in Jordan) are selected as pilot sites. In these sites, agriculture is traditionally the most
important economic activity, but in some of them, it has been progressively replaced by urbanization
and touristic activities, which also have a significant impact on groundwater resources. Stakeholders
in each pilot site were engaged with the aim to discuss the knowledge gaps in relation to sustainable
groundwater management. Engagement consisted of interviews with local authorities, farmers, and
technicians and the fill in of questionnaires to investigate user requirements. Low-cost and non-invasive
EO data (Advanced Differential SAR Interferometry A-DInSAR) are processed to obtain ground displacement
maps of the pilot sites. This information will be used for aquifer characterization and modeling.
