Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, Portugal
The Algarve region of Portugal is experiencing severe water scarcity with existing water supplies insufficient to meet demand, with limited resilience to drought. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) can provide intermediate storage and bridge the gap between water availability and demand, with success de...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/12/2286 |
| _version_ | 1797592289560756224 |
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| author | Kath Standen Luís Costa Rui Hugman José Paulo Monteiro |
| author_facet | Kath Standen Luís Costa Rui Hugman José Paulo Monteiro |
| author_sort | Kath Standen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Algarve region of Portugal is experiencing severe water scarcity with existing water supplies insufficient to meet demand, with limited resilience to drought. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) can provide intermediate storage and bridge the gap between water availability and demand, with success depending on the water available and the aquifer capacity to accept and store the water. We present the results of a regional study quantifying both these aspects to estimate the regional potential for MAR. Our results demonstrate that MAR can comprise 10% of the total water demand of the region (24 Mm<sup>3</sup>/yr) using water that is not otherwise captured, with quality that meets the requirements of the Groundwater Directive. MAR can replace 15 Mm<sup>3</sup>/yr of surface water used in the public irrigation perimeters and 9 Mm<sup>3</sup>/yr can be used to develop and maintain a strategic groundwater resource in the aquifers of the Central Algarve. Although climate change is predicted to result in an 8–13% decrease in MAR recharge, this can be addressed by incrementally increasing MAR design capacity. MAR has similar water resource benefits to the planned major infrastructure projects (desalination and River Guadiana abstraction), with reduced environmental impacts and lower costs than almost all feasible alternatives. We conclude that MAR is an important measure to increase water supply security and drought resilience in the Algarve region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:49:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-852a957d9cb44435b0d0eb57a48ec3ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:49:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-852a957d9cb44435b0d0eb57a48ec3ab2023-11-18T13:05:56ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412023-06-011512228610.3390/w15122286Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, PortugalKath Standen0Luís Costa1Rui Hugman2José Paulo Monteiro3Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias da Água (CTA), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, PortugalAgência Portuguesa do Ambiente—ARH do Algarve, Rua do Alportel, 10–2º, 8000-293 Faro, PortugalINTERA Inc., Perth, WA 6000, AustraliaCentro de Ciências e Tecnologias da Água (CTA), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, PortugalThe Algarve region of Portugal is experiencing severe water scarcity with existing water supplies insufficient to meet demand, with limited resilience to drought. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) can provide intermediate storage and bridge the gap between water availability and demand, with success depending on the water available and the aquifer capacity to accept and store the water. We present the results of a regional study quantifying both these aspects to estimate the regional potential for MAR. Our results demonstrate that MAR can comprise 10% of the total water demand of the region (24 Mm<sup>3</sup>/yr) using water that is not otherwise captured, with quality that meets the requirements of the Groundwater Directive. MAR can replace 15 Mm<sup>3</sup>/yr of surface water used in the public irrigation perimeters and 9 Mm<sup>3</sup>/yr can be used to develop and maintain a strategic groundwater resource in the aquifers of the Central Algarve. Although climate change is predicted to result in an 8–13% decrease in MAR recharge, this can be addressed by incrementally increasing MAR design capacity. MAR has similar water resource benefits to the planned major infrastructure projects (desalination and River Guadiana abstraction), with reduced environmental impacts and lower costs than almost all feasible alternatives. We conclude that MAR is an important measure to increase water supply security and drought resilience in the Algarve region.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/12/2286water scarcitydroughtresilienceclimate change adaptationmitigationIWRM |
| spellingShingle | Kath Standen Luís Costa Rui Hugman José Paulo Monteiro Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, Portugal Water water scarcity drought resilience climate change adaptation mitigation IWRM |
| title | Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, Portugal |
| title_full | Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, Portugal |
| title_fullStr | Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, Portugal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, Portugal |
| title_short | Integration of Managed Aquifer Recharge into the Water Supply System in the Algarve Region, Portugal |
| title_sort | integration of managed aquifer recharge into the water supply system in the algarve region portugal |
| topic | water scarcity drought resilience climate change adaptation mitigation IWRM |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/12/2286 |
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