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Cycle 7 (2018 Deadline)
The use of modeling, monitoring and smart metering for sustainable groundwater management in a Tunisian coastal aquifer
PI: Adel Zghibi (adelzguibi@yahoo.fr), University of Tunis El Manar
U.S. Partner: Ali Mirchi, Oklahoma State University
Project dates: December 2018 - November 2021
Project Overview
The sustainability of agricultural production in the Cap-Bon region of Tunisia is threatened by severe groundwater depletion and seawater intrusion. In the long run, these problems will limit the ability of the farming community to maintain agribusinesses. This PEER project sought to turn the threat of climate change impacts and groundwater depletion in coastal areas of Tunisia into an opportunity for socioeconomic development using novel technological solutions for optimizing agricultural production. The PI and his team used smart energy and water meters (SEWMs) paired with traditional agricultural extension approaches to addressing the problem of unsustainable agricultural water use. The researchers piloted a stakeholder-centered groundwater management network in Cap-Bon region and the Chiba watershed, used water resources modeling approaches to diagnose major causes of the groundwater table decline and investigated the potential of smart agricultural water management as an innovative strategy for creating new agribusiness opportunities.
Final Summary of Project Activities
During field visits, some of which included the participation of the U.S. partner Dr. Ali Mirchi and technical representatives of the SEWM manufacturer, the research team installed SEWMs for 25 local farmers, allowing them to control their energy and water consumption. They also gathered data on land use, land cover, irrigation techniques, pump characteristics, and hydrodynamic parameters of the farms. In follow-up visits, students engaged farmers in follow up questionnaires, recorded several water and energy measurements, and collected several water samples from the equipped wells.
The researchers, including a Ph.D student on the PEER team, used many types of water resource models, such as WEAP (Water Evaluation and Planning model) and SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), to study the sustainability of regional water resources management strategies. Students involved in the Tunisia Smart-Water project helped prepare cartographic layers to build the Chiba Basin model using ARC-GIS (such as climatic stations, tributaries, hydrometric stations, dams, sub-basins, etc.). The team saw improved groundwater management at the farm and regional levels, as well as increased technology transfer and community engagement. The project also helped train water resources researchers and professionals in Tunisia on advanced water management technologies and provided research opportunities to students in Tunisia.
Team members presented their project at the 3rd Atlas Georesources International Congress online (AGIC2021), and the 3rd Euro-Mediterranean Conference for Environmental Integration, as well as published several academic papers. The PI received a new research grant for related work from the Franco-Tunisian joint committee for university cooperation.
Publications
Adel Zghibi, Amira Merzougui, Abubakarr S. Mansaray, Ali Mirchi, Lahcen Zouhri, Anis Chekirbane, Mohamed Haythem Msaddek, Dhekra Souissi, Amina Mabrouk-El-Asmi, and Abdelmadjid Boufekane. 2022. Vulnerability of a Tunisian coastal aquifer to seawater intrusion: insights from the GALDIT model. Water 14, 1177. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14071177
Mohamed Haythem Msaddek, Amira Merzougui, Adel Zghibi, and Anis Chekirbane. 2022. Integrated decisional approach for watershed vulnerability prioritization using water and soil hazard index (WSHI) and AHP methods: Chiba watershed, Cap‑Bon region, northeast Tunisia. Arabian Journal of Geosciences 15:1148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10264-6
Dhaouadi Souhail, Kefi Mohamed, Tarkhani Wafa, Stambouli Talel, and Anis Chkirbene. 2020. Assessment of the impact of land-cover change on water quality: case study of the Chiba watershed, Nabeul, Tunisia. Euro-Mediterranean Journal of Environmental Integration 5, 57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-020-00195-7
Adel Zghibi, Ali Mirchi, Mohamed Haythem Msaddek, Amira Merzougui, Lahcen Zouhri, Jean-Denis Taupin, Anis Chekirbane, Ismail Chenini, and Jamila Tarhouni. 2020. Using analytical hierarchy process and multi-influencing factors to map groundwater recharge zones in a semi-arid Mediterranean coastal aquifer. Water 12(9):2525. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12092525
Adel Zghibi, Ali Mirchi, Lahcen Zouhri, Jean-Denis Taupin, Anis Chekirbane, and Jamila Tarhouni. 2019. Implications of groundwater development and seawater intrusion for sustainability of a Mediterranean coastal aquifer in Tunisia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 191: 696. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7866-5
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