Abstract:
The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to protect inland surface
waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. It also aims to achieve certain
environmental objectives through the implementation of programs of measures specified in
River Basin Management Plans (RBMP). Information systems have been identified as a
prority tool for managing water resources effectively and efficiently, contributing to the goals
to be established by RBMP. In this context, the Portuguese regional water authorities (ARHs)
Norte (North), Centro (Centre) and Tejo (Tagus) selected LNEC to conduct studies for the
design and development of geographic information to support planning and management of
water resources. Besides, ARH Tejo also selected LNEC to develop groundwater components
of Tagus River and Ribeiras do Oeste Basin Management Plans (Tagus RBMP/Oeste
RBMP). This included the characterization and modeling of quantitative and qualitative
aspects of groundwater bodies.
Aiming to dessiminate EU Member-states water resources scientific knowledge in PR
China, this paper addresses some of the innovative issues developed in Portugal for RBMP,
exemplified for the Tagus RBMP and the Oeste RBMP, e.g. climate change scenarios
modeling and the results of major changes expected for groundwater recharge by 2071-2101.
This evaluation was based on expected values of temperature increase and decrease in
precipitation for the aquifer system of Torres Vedras (Oeste RBMP). Regarding groundwater
depending ecosystems results of a methodology to classify regional surface water bodies
expected to be in hydraulic connection with the underlying body of groundwater is presented.
Tagus RBMP and Oeste RBMP groundwater outcome was published by the Consortium that
developed the Groundwater Component (Lote 2) of Tagus RBMP and Oeste RBMP, formed
by Hidroprojecto, LNEC and ICCE, in Lobo-Ferreira et al. (2011a and b).
