Accelerating Aquifer Storage & Recovery in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Background

Aquifers are important sources of water in the arid Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, especially during droughts and dry seasons. However, many aquifers are under stress due to high rates of pumping and low rates of natural recharge. Water supply can be improved by use of various methods collectively referred to as Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR), or more commonly as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), in which captured stormwater runoff or treated wastewater is recharged to depleted aquifers to improve water security. MAR is a practical and cost-effective solution to recover and store millions of cubic meters of water that would otherwise be lost.

MAR is currently underutilized in the MENA region due to the high cost of site identification and difficulty matching MAR & ASR technologies to site conditions. The goal of this activity was to improve water security in the MENA region by accelerating MAR. This activity aimed to accelerate adoption of MAR by applying and disseminating new methods for mapping and identifying high potential MAR locations using remote sensing, geospatial data, and water availability analyses.

Objectives

The overall goal was to improve water security in the MENA region by accelerating use of ASR & MAR. Specific objectives were:

• Demonstrate new methods to identify high potential MAR sites
• Map MAR potential in two study areas for testing & replication in other MENA countries
• Build the capacity of MENA water institutions to develop non-conventional water resources