Theme:
Estuaries, Coasts and Seas (ECS)

Short description on the session:
Water resources management and water governance, in the Mediterranean (MED) coastal zones is an important and urgent challenge. The development of large and mega-cities increases the pressure on water resources quality and quantity, due to rising population and increase of economic activities, in the MED coastal zones. This situation is being further intensified by the climate change pressures and vulnerability of the MED coastal regions. Climate changes could significantly affect MED coastal aquifers with e.g. seawater intrusion and increased salt concentration in groundwater. The MED coast-lands are experiencing several increasing anthropogenic disturbances and new species production, which is threatening biodiversity compared to other coastal seas.

The objective of the present SPECIAL SESSION is to present the research results of three PRIMA projects which have as their main objective the innovative groundwater management in a changing climate in the MED region.

Specifically, the three projects are the following:

1. Sustain-COAST was designed to explore innovative governance approaches of coastal aquifers among multiple water users and beneficiaries, under the uncertainties posed by the changing climate conditions, in four Mediterranean countries;
2. The InTheMED project is to implement innovative and sustainable management tools and remediation strategies for MED aquifers (inland and coastal) in order to mitigate anthropogenic and climate-change threats by creating new long-lasting spaces of social learning among different interdependent stakeholders, NGOs, and scientific researchers in five field case studies; and
3. The MEDSAL project aims to secure the availability and quality of groundwater reserves in Mediterranean coastal areas, which are amongst the most vulnerable regions in the world to water scarcity and quality degradation. This will be addressed by providing a novel holistic approach, towards the sustainable management of coastal aquifers, which are affected by increased (single or multi-induced) groundwater salinization risk, especially under the variable meteo-climatic conditions of the Mediterranean and the rapidly changing socio-economic context.

Convener: 

George P. KARATZAS, Professor, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Greece, Email: karatzas@mred.tuc.gr, Phone: +306937287226

Useful information: 

Duration of session:	2 hours
Duration of oral presentation:	15 minutes (12 presentation + 3 discussion)
Total number of presentations:	6 - 8
Length of abstract:	2 pages, following the template of the Congress
Special issue on a journal:	Yes, by the Convener; it can be supported by the Organizing Committee