GENESIS

Groundwater and Dependent Ecosystems: New Scientific and Technical Basis for Assessing Climate Change and Land-use Impacts on Groundwater Systems

Groundwater resources are facing increasing pressure from consumptive uses (irrigation, water supply, industry) and contamination by diffuse loading (e.g. agriculture) and point sources (e.g. industry). This cause major threat and risks to our most valuable water resource and on ecosystems dependent on groundwater. New information is need on how to better protect groundwaters and groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDE) from intensive land-use and climate change.
The impacts of land-use changes and climate changes are difficult to separate as they partly result in similar changes in the ecosystems affected. The effects are highly interwoven and complex. The EU groundwater directive (GWD) and the water framework directive (WFD) provide means to protect groundwater (GW) aquifers from pollution and deterioration.
At present, the maximum limits for groundwater pollutant concentrations have been set for nitrate and various pesticides. Also, water of sufficient quality and quantity should be provided to ecosystems dependent on groundwater. The European aquifers differ by their geology, climate, and threats to aquifers. This must be considered when general guidelines for management of these systems are developed.
The concept of the present proposal is to base the research on different relevant aquifer sites in various European countries to test scientific issues and find new results to important problems. Seven WP are foreseen:
* WP1 Case studies on impacts and threats to GWs and GDEs
* WP2 Groundwater dynamics, re-charge and water balance
* WP3 Leaching to groundwater aquifers from different land-uses
* WP4 Groundwater dependent ecosystems: groundwater-surface water interaction
* WP5 Modelling processes in groundwater systems
* WP6 Concepts, scenarios and risk assessment
* WP7 Co-ordination

Coordinator Norwegian Institute For Agricultural And Environmental Research - Bioforsk (Norway)

Other participants:

ALMA MATER STUDIORUM-UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA

-Dip. di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali-BIGEA

-Resp. Scientifico: Prof. Alessandro Gargini

Gis-Geoindustry, S.R.O. (Czech Republic)

Universitatea Din Bucuresti (Romania)

Faculty Of Mining, Geology And Petroleum Engineering University Of Zagreb (Croatia)

Université De Neuchatel (Switzerland)

Eidikos Logariasmos Erevnon Dimokriteiou Panepistimiou

Thrakis Specific Research Account Of Democritus University Of Thrace (Greece)

Igem Danismanlik Organizasyon Arastirma Ltd. Sti. (Turkey)

Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen Deutsches Forschungszentrum Fuer Gesundheit Und Umwelt Gmbh (Germany)

Athens University Of Economics And Business - Research Center (Greece)

Politechnika Krakowska (Poland)

Lulea Tekniska Universitet (Sweden)

Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza Im. Stanisaawa Staszica W Krakowie (Poland)

Eidgenoessische Anstalt Fur Wasserversorgung Abwasserreinigung Und Gewaesserschutz (Switzerland)

Sveriges Meteorologiska Och Hydrologiska Institut (Sweden)

Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore (Italy)

Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft Mbh (Austria)

Helmholtz-Zentrum Fuer Umweltforschung Gmbh – Ufz (Germany)

Oulun Yliopisto (Finland)

Alterra B.V. (Netherlands)

Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique – INRA (France)

The University Of Manchester (UK)

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (Switzerland)

University Of Dundee (UK)

Universidad Politecnica De Valencia (Spain)

 

Start date 01/04/2009 (L’Università di Bologna è presente nel progetto dal 01/10/2011)

End date 31/03/2014

Duration 60 months

Project Reference 226536

Project cost 6.997.200 EURO

Project Funding 9.170.617 EURO

Area FP7- COOPERATION – ENVIRONMENT

Subprogramme Area ENV.2008.2.1.2.1 Groundwater systems

Contract type Collaborative project. Large-scale integrating project