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Integration of GIS and WEAP models for groundwater resource management in arid regions: case of the Djeffara-Medenine shallow aquifer (Southeastern Tunisia)

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Abstract

The humans’ activities development exerts increasing constraints on groundwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions. The Djeffara-Medenine shallow aquifer (Southeastern Tunisia), subject of this study, is threatened by a groundwater overexploitation. Thus, the search of water resource management has become a necessity. This study aims to develop a decision support for modeling water resources, to assess the following: (i) the groundwater spatial management by overlaying the groundwater quality and vulnerability maps of the Maritime Djeffara. GIS tools were used to generate various spatially analyzed thematic layers and their integration to produce the final map; and (ii) the quantity groundwater management by determining the groundwater reserve and water demands balance and to investigate the future situation of water resources using Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP21) model. As results, the thematic method shows a groundwater spatial management by classifying the studied area into three zones: good, moderate, and unsuitable waters for human purposes. The good waters were localized at Zone 1. Moreover, for WEAP21 model, three scenarios were created: “Irrigation water needs,” “Population growth rate,” and “industry growth rate.” The obtained results show a water demand increase induced by the populations and their activities increase, WEAP21 model estimates a value equal to 19.44 Mm3, 11.96 Mm3, 12.08 Mm3, and 11.95 Mm3 in 2065 for the “Irrigation water needs,” “industry growth rate,” “population growth rate,” and reference scenario, respectively. Since the groundwater of this aquifer was almost used for agriculture purposes, the most important results were showed by the “Irrigation water needs” scenario. This scenario results show a water reserve decrease going from 10,760 Mm3 (2015) to reach 10,324.77 Mm3 (2065). This decline is due to the intensive exploitation and the limited recharge of this aquifer. This state could be ameliorated if a demand management policy will be applied, in order to establish a balance state between supply and demand using several tools of water management.

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  1. LR3E, National Engineering School, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    Bachaer Ayed, Nadia Khlif, Ikram Jmal & Salem Bouri

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  1. Bachaer Ayed
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  2. Nadia Khlif
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  3. Ikram Jmal
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  4. Salem Bouri
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Correspondence to Bachaer Ayed.

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Responsible Editor: Fethi Lachaal

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Water Quality, Global Changes and Groundwater Responses

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Ayed, B., Khlif, N., Jmal, I. et al. Integration of GIS and WEAP models for groundwater resource management in arid regions: case of the Djeffara-Medenine shallow aquifer (Southeastern Tunisia). Arab J Geosci 15, 994 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10277-1

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