The project aims at contributing to an integrated, sustainable and participative water harvesting and agriculture management in the watersheds of Oued Biskra in Algeria and Oum Zessar in Tunisia characterized by the overexploitation of groundwater, with a view to promote adaptation to climate change conditions and particularly droughts.

In the months April-June 2014 WADIS-MAR finalized in Algeria the agronomic intervention plan and the design of the artificial aquifer recharge interventions in both Algeria and Tunisia. Campaigns were conducted in Tunisia to make a geophysical survey, a hydro-geological survey and a ground truth campaign for land cover and land use changes. The project also organized technical training courses for local stakeholders and focused on visibility activities in the framework of international events.

Algeria

· The agronomic intervention plan in synergy with the local agricultural development Institute ITDAS has been finalized and the agronomic demonstrative intervention sites have been identified in the project area for the main crops grown (mainly dates palms, tomatoes, and wheat) with different farming and irrigation systems in the region.

· The design of the artificial aquifer recharge interventions (recharge basins, vadose-zone wells, also called dry wells, and recharge tranches) for the infero-flux aquifer in the Oued Biskra, the cost analysis and the selection of intervention areas have been finalized (including the final costs estimation, the materials selection, the topographic survey, tenders for works, works supervision, procedure for work authorization).

Tunisia

· Interviews and briefings with selected local beneficiaries (farmers) were conducted.

· Agricultural interventions consisting on deficit irrigation, at many levels, on crops during all the cycle or at some crucial stages of growth areongoing. Some partial results have been already achieved in the 3 chosen areas Chaabet El Anz site (up-stream area), Loudayette site (mid-stream area), Oued Moussa site (Down-stream area).

· The design of the artificial aquifer recharge intervention (recharge basins, vadose-zone wells, also called dry wells and recharge wells with recharge chambers) for the Trias aquifer in the Oum Zessar watershed has been finalized in collaboration with CRDA (including the final costs estimation and the materials selection).

· A Spectroradiometric Measurements Campaign has been carried out in the study area of the extended hydrogeological basin of Oum Zessar, in the Medenine Governorate area, between the 16th –19th June 2014. The campaign included: (1) a theoretical training addressed to project partner’s staff aiming at providing the basic principles of the method; (2) a field trainingon the methodology of investigation and establishment of points of interest, consequently collecting in-situ spectral signatures of saline crusts and sand encroachment areas with an ASD FieldSpec 4 Standard-resolution portable spectroradiometer, full-range Vis/NIR. These measurements have been conducted according to standard protocol, with the compilation of Field Spectroradiometer Sheet for each point, supplemented by land cover, land use, geomorphological and geological observations. This data will give support for the development of a systematic methodology of mapping salt affected soils and areas of sand accumulation. The final target is to obtain multi-temporal maps of the spatial distribution of these areas in order to assess the temporal dynamics of these processes, as they represent a constraint for agriculture and need constant monitoring for change detection, thus supporting decision-making. The outputs of this campaign are used for the ground truthing and image validation of multispectral data, to support supervised image classification, thus constructing a spectral signatures’ database of minerals to be integrated with data obtained from the processing of remotely sensed data. Using proper image classification methods is not enough for the expected accuracy of the identification and delineation of the areas of interest.

· A ground truth campaign was undertaken from April to June 2014, according to a stepwise methodology, in order to adjust boundaries, interpretation keys and land cover nomenclature as well as class assignment of previously photo-interpreted land cover features using Landsat imagery. The results consist in a ready-to-use database of 450 observation points divided in interest points (with Land cover Sheet full description) and auxiliary observation points. This step represents the primary study intended for upcoming preparation of maps of the evolution over time of land cover and land use change. The field campaign activities were conducted on site by NRD – UNICA Staff and supported by IRA technicians and experts.

· A geoelectrical campaign has been carried out in Medenine between 7 – 12 April 2014. The campaign included: (1) a theoretical training addressed to project partner’s staff with participants from the Institut des Région Arides - Tunisie (IRA), CRDA-Tunisie, OSS Tunisie and Agence nationale des Ressources Hydrauliques – Algerie (ANRH) aiming at providing the basic principles of the electrical resistivity method; (2) a field training on a galvanic coupled resistivity system aiming at the production of 2D resistivity tomographies for the definition of the stratigraphy of the area and the related saturation condition of the subsoil. The geophysical  survey was made along the area were the artificial recharge system will be realized.

· The following field works were carried out in Tunisia (between Jeffara Zone and Dahar Zone)

- Geology field Trip;

- Data collection (structural geological data and a hydrogeological data);

- Collection ofdata for new geological interpretation.

Visibility and dissemination activities

The project was presented in the following occasions:

· 18-20 June 2014 “Flowpath 2014” – National Meeting on Hydrogeology, Viterbo (Italy) (http://www.flowpath2014.it/) – within a session dedicated to climate change and groundwater sustainability. The project was presented during a discussion on the “Design of Artificial Aquifer Recharge Systems in dry regions of Maghreb (North Africa)”.

· 22 – 24 June 2014, International Workshop on Geomatics for ecosystem based adaptation in the dry areas of North Africa, Djerba Island, Tunisia.

· 22 – 25 June 2014, Second learning event of CADWAGO project, Open University, London. CADWAGO builds on lessons from ongoing research cases to create a forum and dialogue between researchers and stakeholders at different scales. It was the second of three learning events of relevance to water governance, policy and practice in public, private and civic spheres. Participants from across the project cases studies with mutual interests in water policy, governance and climate change adaptation were invited to join this co-learning process. The participants came from the UK and Canada, Sweden and Italy. The WADIS-MAR intervention site of Tunisia is one of the CADWAGO cases focusing on sustainable integrated catchment management. Within the CADWAGO project, Oum Zessar site is the only one located in an arid region.

The following capacity building activities were successfully realized:

· A training course on Agrometeorology and its applications was organized from 31st March to 3rd April by NRD-UNISS at the General Department of the Technological Institute for Agricultural Development of Sahara (ITDAS), Biskra, Algeria. Both engineers from ITDAS and the National Agency for Research in Hydrology (ANRH) participated in the course. The course consisted of the influence of cardinal temperatures on the choice of crop varieties and the best time for cultivating different crops; the study of heat units accumulation and the interaction with plant phenology; the importance of rainfall in rainfed and irrigated agriculture; the methods for evapotranspiration calculating and water balance estimating and theory.

· A training course on Database and Geological 3D Modeling on 25-26 June 2014 with participants from the Institut des Région Arides - Tunisie (IRA), CRDA-Tunisie, OSS Tunisie and Agence nationale des Ressources Hydrauliques – Algerie (ANRH). The course consisted of a theoretical approach and a series of data entry, management and conversion exercises, followed by demonstrations of usage and compatibility with GIS software. It was an occasion for the different participants to share experience, spread new data, spread knowledge about data base, geology of Algeria and Tunisia and new technology (Access, MOVE…).