Artificial recharge enhancement to prevent seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer of Korba-Mida (Tunisia)

Abstract

In recent decades the groundwater overexploitation and unabated use has led to severe environmental problems such as resource depletion, land subsidence and seawater intrusion in coastal areas. Globally, climate change is expected to impact on rainfall intensity and duration, causing more intense extreme events, i.e. river floods, rainstorms and droughts (EEA, 2007; IPCC, 2008). Additionally, the growing imbalance between water supply and water demand, exacerbated by climate change, population growth and urbanization, requires more efficient water resources management (EEA, 2009). To mitigate these adverse impacts and to protect this valuable resource, rational and integrated groundwater management practices and policies, as well as robust modelling and analysis tools have been developed in Tunisia. The Korba-Mida aquifer, one of the most productive in Tunisia, is heavily suffering from water scarcity and salinization due to seawater intrusion. It is an important tourist, industrial, and above all agricultural area. This paper describes the measured positive influence of the on-going artificial recharge (AR) experiments in the surrounding groundwater quantity and quality. The data was collected during the period before and during artificial recharge (2007 to 2012) by using several probes located in the surrounding piezometers and wells, at different depths.