Suchergebnisse

In the scientific community, increasing concerns on groundwater quality and quantity have motivated the development of numerical models for groundwater management since the 1970's. Mathematical and numerical models are, for example, promising tools for prediction of concentration and they can be used to make the dynamic link between nitrogen manure and the resulting evolution of nitrate concentration in groundwater. However, from a practical and managerial perspective, there have been very few real attempts of developing efficient calibrated and validated transport models in particular at the scale of the groundwater body, which is the management unit of groundwater resource in the European Union. Actually two main challenges remains, (1) performing numerical tools are not really available and (2) parametrisation of such transport models at the regional scale is difficult due to the large amount of data required. Generally speaking models can be grouped in different categories ranging from black box models to physically based distributed models. The black box models such as transfer function are simple but attractive because they require relatively less data but with the drawback that modelling result are not spatially distributed while the predictive capability of these models is questionable due to the semi-analytical nature of the process descriptions. On the contrary, physically based distributed model require more data but, due to a more advanced description of ongoing processes, such models are expected to have better predictive capabilities than the black box models. Black box model and physically based distributed model approaches have all proved their utilities and have all their justifications, advantages and disadvantages regarding the development of regional scale groundwater model. A new flexible methodology (the Hybrid Finite Element Mixing Cell method) has been developed that allows combining in a single model, and in a fully integrated way, different mathematical approaches of various complexities for groundwater in complex environment. This method has been implemented in the SUFTD, a finite element groundwater flow and solute transport numerical model. Combining on the one hand the use of a spatially distributed groundwater flow and solute transport model taking advantages of this Hybrid Finite Element Mixing Cell Approach method and on the other hand spatial datasets of tritium and nitrate contents, an illustration on the problem of nitrate trend assessment and forecasting for an important groundwater resource located in the Geer groundwater body (480 km²) in the Walloon Region of Belgium will be proposed.

An overview is presented of the research activities conducted by several AquaTerra work packages (BASIN, TREND, FLUX, BIOGEOCHEM) in the Meuse basin, with the emphasis on two specific sites: the Walloon region and the Dommel catchment. The preliminary results and the relevance for management issues are presented. Furthermore, the progress in the formation of a stakeholder group and the organisation of a workshop with these stakeholders is reported.

Diffuse groundwater contamination related to agricultural practices is a worldwide environmental problem, particularly the continuous increase in nitrate concentrations. As a response to this threat, the European Union has adopted directives requiring that Member States take measures to reduce agricultural nitrate sources and stating that a "good" status of groundwater is required for all EU members. In order to achieve the environmental objectives for groundwater, the identification and reversal of any significant upward trend in the pollutant concentrations are required. Conclusions are drawn about the evolution of groundwater contamination by nitrates in the following decades with respect to the EU Water directive prescriptions. Measures have to be urgently taken in order to avoid major degradation of groundwater in 10 to 70 years. However, a good groundwater quality status cannot be expected for the 2015 EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere threatens the existence of many ecosystems and their inhabitants. Agricultural activities contribute up to 70 % of total anthropogenic emission of nitrous oxide (N2O), one of the GHGs, which is characterized with the highest global warming potential and contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. Our study presents the results obtained from the recent field and lab activities carried out in order to obtain better insight into the factors that define the presence of N2O in groundwater. Previous large scale investigations, performed in the Hesbaye chalk aquifer in Eastern Belgium, suggested that the concentration of N2O in the aquifer depends on different, possibly overlapping biochemical processes such as nitrification, denitrification and/or nitrifier-denitrification. This study explored the occurrence of biochemical stratification in the same aquifer and its impact on N2O production and consumption mechanisms. For this purpose low flow sampling technique was applied at different depth intervals to obtain better insight into the extent of oxic and anoxic zones and variability of concentrations of GHGs along the vertical profile. Collected groundwater samples were analyzed for the range of hydrochemical parameters as well as NO3-, N2O, H2O and B isotopes signatures and N2O isotopomers. Afterwards, rates of nitrification and denitrification processes were estimated based on short-term incubations of collected groundwater amended with NO3- and NH4+ compounds labeled with heavy 15N isotope. In addition, in order to characterize the dynamics of ongoing biogeochemical processes, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for detection of the activity-specific enzymes in the aquifer were performed. Such studies help to clarify which conditions are more prone to the accumulation of high concentrations of GHGs in aquifers and better constrain models which estimate local and regional GHGs budgets.AcknowledgmentsThis project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 675120. ; Peer reviewed

Le bassin du Kou, situé dans le sud-ouest du Burkina Faso, est depuis quelques décennies le théâtre de différentes formes de conflits liés à toute une série de problèmes que l'on rencontre généralement dans des zones irriguées. Dans le bassin du Kou, les aménagements hydro-agricoles couvrent un e superficie totale de près de 2.000 ha ; il s'agit des périmètres privés maraîchères et horticoles, et d'un grand périmètre de 1.200 ha réalisé par l'Etat. Malgré la présence de sources importantes, d'une nappe phréatique facilement exploitable et d'un cours d'eau pérenne, la plupart des utilisateurs se retrouvent régulièrement confrontées à des pénuries d'eau résultant d'une extension de l'agriculture irriguée. Depuis 1987 les autorités politiques et administratives ont entrepris de rechercher avec les usagers concernés les voies pour circonscrire les menaces résultant de cette situation par la création d'un Comité 'provisoire' de Gestion du Bassin du Kou (CGBK). Malgré l'imagination dont il a fait preuve et les nombreuses réalisations à son actif, il aura fallu attendre l'année 2008 pour voir la naissance d'un Comité Local de l'Eau (CLE), inspiré des expériences du CGBK. Celui-ci s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une GIRE décentralisée voulue par l'Etat burkinabé. La particularité de ce CLE est la montée en puissance en son sein de l'action de la société civile. Cette dernière s'est engagée à la mise en chantier d'une innovation institutionnelle: un Observatoire de l'Eau (OE). Il a pour vocation d'appuyer les pouvoirs publics dans le développement de programmes 'études relatifs à la gestion des ressources en eau. A travers l'élaboration d'une base de données spatialisée, l'OE se concentre sur la mise en place d'outils de contrôle et de suivi des ressources en eau et de leur exploitation. Les outils et études développés sont restitués et discutés lors des réunions du CLE. Il s permettent au CLE de mieux prévoir des futurs conflits liés à l'eau et servent également comme outil d'arbitrage. ; Peer reviewed