Optimal irrigation planning for addressing current or future water scarcity in Mediterranean tree crops.

Water scarcity in the Mediterranean region is becoming a growing concern, threatening the viability of agriculture, which is one of the main economic sectors in many areas. The design of an optimal irrigation management plan, based on state-of-the-art measuring and modeling tools, can effectively contribute towards water saving efforts and potentially address the water scarcity issue in the region. This paper describes the development and application of an integrated decision-making system for the management of water resources of olive and citrus crops in the North of Chania, Crete, Greece.

An integrated method for assessing drought prone areas - Water efficiency practices for a climate resilient Mediterranean agriculture.

This paper presents a new integrated GIS modeling method to assess drought vulnerability using multi-criteria analysis. The proposed methodology is an improvement over previous methods since it incorporates both dynamic and static factors that may affect water dynamics and contribute to water scarcity. These factors are: a) precipitation, b) evapotranspiration, c) soil water content, d) soil depth, e) artificial drainage, f) depth to water table, g) runoff accumulation, and h) saltwater intrusion zones.

Assessing the efficiency of a coastal Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) system in Cyprus.

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is becoming an attractive water management option, with more than 223 sites operating in European countries. The quality of the produced water, available for drinking or irrigation processes is strongly depended on the aquifer's hydrogeochemical characteristics and on the MAR system design and operation. The objective of this project is the assessment of the operation efficiency of a MAR system in Cyprus.

Groundwater footprint methodology as policy tool for balancing water needs (agriculture & tourism) in water scarce islands - The case of Crete, Greece.

In many Mediterranean islands with limited surface water resources, the growth of agricultural and touristic sectors, which are the main water consumers, highly depends on the sustainable water resources management. This work highlights the crucial role of groundwater footprint (GF) as a tool for the sustainable management of water resources, especially in water scarce islands. The groundwater footprint represents the water budget between inflows and outflows in an aquifer system and is used as an index of the effect of groundwater use in natural resources and environmental flows.

Groundwater Modeling and Remediation Scenarios of a Hexavalent Chromium Plume Released from an Industrial Site.

In recent years, high concentrations of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] have been found in the groundwater system of the Asopos River Basin. This work focuses on a Cr(VI) plume detected in the industrial area of Inofyta, the most important contamination hot spot of the Asopos River Basin. A groundwater flow and Cr(VI) transport model was developed to assess the behaviour of the plume and investigate the location of a suspected nearby source zone.

Assessing groundwater quality in Greece based on spatial and temporal analysis.

The recent industrial growth together with the urban expansion and intensive agriculture in Greece has increased groundwater contamination in many regions of the country. In order to design successful remediation strategies and protect public health, it is very important to identify those areas that are most vulnerable to groundwater contamination. In this work, an extensive contamination database from monitoring wells that cover the entire Greek territory during the last decade (2000-2008) was used in order to study the temporal and spatial distribution of groundwater contamination for the most common and serious anionic and cationic trace element pollutants (heavy metals).

Large scale groundwater flow and hexavalent chromium transport modeling under current and future climatic conditions: the case of Asopos River Basin.

In recent years, high concentrations of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), have been observed in the groundwater system of the Asopos River Basin, raising public concern regarding the quality of drinking and irrigation water. The work described herein focuses on the development of a groundwater flow and Cr(VI) transport model using hydrologic, geologic, and water quality data collected from various sources. An important dataset for this goal comprised an extensive time series of Cr(VI) concentrations at various locations that provided an indication of areas of high concentration and also served as model calibration locations.

Statistical analysis and ANN modeling for predicting hydrological extremes under climate change scenarios: the example of a small Mediterranean agro-watershed.

The purpose of this study was to create a modeling management tool for the simulation of extreme flow events under current and future climatic conditions. This tool is a combination of different components and can be applied in complex hydrogeological river basins, where frequent flood and drought phenomena occur. The first component is the statistical analysis of the available hydro-meteorological data.