Developing managed aquifer recharge techniques (MAR) in a rural context

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• farmers have access to water supply from managed aquifer recharge systems and to appropriate business models to cope with longer and more intense periods of water scarcity due to climate change, while preserving the good status of ground water bodies;
• water ecosystems are healthier and more resilient to climate change, and water related ecosystem services are protected and strengthened, while water resilience of farming systems is increased;
• policy makers are provided with improved insights on mechanisms and instruments to improve the water resilience of the agricultural sector to cope with climate change effects.

Scope

Droughts in the EU are increasing in frequency, magnitude and impact, and the affected area is expanding. Water storage systems can limit abstractions from surface waters and groundwater reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture and food systems, and bring the demand and supply of water better in balance, strengthening the resilience of EU agriculture.

Proposals should:

• extend, improve and customize managed aquifer recharge (MAR) techniques at farm, basin and catchment level, covering most representative EU agricultural contexts in view of climate change;
• develop a methodology to help assessing the most suitable location or situations to implement these MAR techniques and validate with a representative sample of case-study regions, taking into account for the differential impact of climate change;
• develop a user-friendly monitoring, reporting and verification system (MRV) to follow the impact on ground water quality and quantity, as well as associated water ecosystems and dependent terrestrial ecosystems;
• evaluate the potential impact and sustainability of managed aquifer recharge techniques in rural areas, including on the groundwater ecosystems, associated water ecosystems and dependent terrestrial ecosystems, and drinking water from a multi-objective approach, and its integration with evidence-based engineered and Nature-based Solutions to reduce runoff, soil erosion and improve landscape climatic resilience;
• calculate the cost-benefits of MAR techniques and propose different business models for the compensation or remuneration of individual farmers or land managers (payments schemes, nature, carbon or water credits, …) for hosting MAR initiatives;
• demonstrate the feasibility of these business models at local level (catchment, river basin, ...) by at least 2 case studies in different pedoclimatic zones and evaluate the possible barriers for adoption by farmers or land managers;
• provide a framework of governance models that could fit the different local socio-economic, regulatory and pedo-climatic conditions.

The actions funded under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, as well as to the European Water Resilience Strategy and the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and ensure adequate involvement of relevant stakeholders, including farmers, land managers, water governance bodies and local authorities.

Proposals are encouraged to build on the results of relevant projects funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe and ensure collaboration with relevant ongoing and forthcoming projects from the Mission Soil and the Mission Ocean & Waters.

Proposals should follow the Guidance document on managed aquifer recharge techniques of the CIS Working Group on Groundwater [1].

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Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1] Common implementation strategy for the water framework directive and the floods directive: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e827bbe4-fe33-11ef-b7db-01aa75ed71a1/language-en