GENESIS - Groundwater and Dependent Ecosystems: New Scientific and Technical

Basis for Assessing Climate Change and Land-use Impacts on Groundwater Systems

Paul Andreas AakerøyGENESIS administration

Bioforsk-Norway

Content of presentation• Participants and roles• GENESIS main objectives and concept• Expected impact

GENESIS in Facts and Figures• Large scale integrated project in FP7• 25 partners: 15 universities, 8 research institutes and

2 SME• Advisory board 5 members• 13 EU states, 4 Associated states• Multidisciplinary proposal• Research proposal that provides scientific basis for

the update of the EU GWD • Budget 10 M€ with EU finance 7M€• Duration 5 years (from 1.4.2009)• Coordinated by Bioforsk, Norway

Bioforsk, Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research Norway

UOULU, University of Oulu, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Laboratory Finland

Joanneum Research ForschungsgesellschaftmbH Austria

ETH, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich Switzerland

LTU, Lulea Tekniska Universitet SwedenUNIBUC, University of Bucharest Romania

GIS, GIS-GEOINDUSTRY, s.r.o. Czech Republic

INRA, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique France

Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre The Netherlands

HMGU, München Gesundheit Umwelt Germany

Eawag, Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz Switzerland

AGH, University of Science and Technology Poland

UCSC, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Italy

IGEM, Integrated Global Ecosystem Management Research and Consulting Co. Turkey

IAMA-UPVLC, Technical Univ of Valencia Spain

DUTh, Democritus University of Thrace GreeceCUT, Cracow University of Technology Poland

UNINE, University of Neuchâtel Switzerland

UNIFE, University of Ferrara Italy

AUEB-RC, Athens University of Economics and Business-Research Centre Greece

UNIDUN, University of Dundee United Kingdom

UNIZG-RGNF, University of Zagreb- Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering Croatia

UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Germany

SMHI, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute Sweden

UNIMAN, University of Manchester United Kingdom

25 Partners

16 Case Study Areas

More information about case studies: www.thegenesisproject.eu

04/21/23 6Author/company/institute

Expected impact

• Provide a scientific basis for the update of the EU GWD (starting July 2011) by developing tools for groundwater modeling and assessment

• Total > 30 deliverables (conferences to scientific papers)• First important deliverable: a review of pollutants in the groundwater

directive: Input to Annex I and II– Annex 1 include limit values set for single pesticides, total amount (sum) of pesticides

and nitrates.

– Annex II lists pollutants in three categories I) naturally occurring substances, II) synthetic substances, and III) electrical conductivity as indicator for salt water intrusion and metals and pollution.

– Why have the present been selected, and what should be added?

– Review pollutant properties and the reason for risks to groundwater degradation etc

– increased knowledge on different groundwater systems – development/improvement of methods to determine flow paths and

residence time– better understanding of leaching processes through the unsaturated zone to

groundwater– knowledge on groundwater dependent ecosystems– tools for modeling and assessment– integrated management considering sociological, legal and economic aspects– dissemination of knowledge (publications, courses, seminars)

8Zagreb Aquifer, Croatia Leaching experiment, Bitterfeld, Germany

GENESIS concept

Groundwater uses Drinking water supply Ecosystem water requirements Agricultural water use (Irrigation) Industrial uses Other uses (e.g. geothermal)

Groundwater system Renewal and flow dynamics Leaching of pollutants Ecosystem dependent on GW

Cost and benefitsLegal questionsSocial impacts

ConceptsMeasures

Management

Climate change Landuse

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Scientific research is needed to improve the understanding of how different drivers affect groundwater systems. New process understanding must be incorporated into mathematical models and assessment tools. Scenarios will be simulated to assess impacts in an integrated way taking account of uncertainties present in such simulations.

8 Work packages

WP 1 Co-ordination of case studies

WP 6 Groundwater systems management

WP 7 Intergration, uptake, training and dissemination

WP 4 GDE

WP 2 GW flow characterisation

WP 5 Integrated modelling

Conceptualisation

Process coupling

Parametrisation

Verification

Scenario simulation

WP 3 Pollutant input and leaching

Future events

Future conferences, cources and workshops open for all– GENESIS tracers seminar: Munich 29th June 2010– IAH conference 12-17 September 2010 Cracow (GENESIS session)

Thank you for your attention!

www.thegenesisproject.eu

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De Kromme Rijn, The Netherlands