Abstract:
The European Union Water Framework
Directive aims to protect inland surface waters, transitional
waters, coastal waters, and groundwater and achieve certain
environmental objectives through the implementation
of programs of measures specified in river basin management
plans (RBMPs). For that purpose, information systems
have been identified as a priority tool for managing
water resources effectively and efficiently, within the
process of characterization and modelling of quantitative
and qualitative aspects of groundwater bodies, also considering
the projected climate change scenarios. This paper
addresses some of the innovative issues developed in
Portugal for RBMPs, exemplified for the Tagus and for the
West RBMPs, e.g. modelling groundwater recharge
assessment under climate change scenarios projected for
2071–2101 for the aquifer system of Torres Vedras (West
RBMPs). Regarding groundwater depending ecosystems, a
methodology to classify regional surface water bodies in
hydraulic connection with the underlying body of
groundwater is presented. A synthesis of the diagnosis and
the proposed objectives is presented for Tagus and West
RBMPs. The full report was published by the Consortium
that developed the Groundwater Component (Lot 2),
formed by Hidroprojecto, LNEC and ICCE, in Lobo
Ferreira et al. (Conso´rcio Hidroprojecto/LNEC/ICCE. LNEC, Report 289/2011–NAS 1056 2011a, Conso´rcio
Hidroprojecto/LNEC/ICCE. LNEC, Report 290/2011–
NAS 597 2011b).
