Comparing the hydrological and ecological conditions of the case study sites in Egypt and Greece.
Under WP2 the project will undertake an hydrological assessment of the study sites based on quantity and quality information of the water system and its dynamics. In particular, the project will use hydrological modelling to simulate regional outcomes for both surface and groundwater. The output of the model will enhance the development of a comprehensive (ecological-agricultural-economic) simulation model that can help the farmer to find the environmentally sustainable optimal cropping pattern with the maximum return.
To complete the hydrological assessment, various ecological indicators will be collected to compare the effects of restoration measures on the ecosystem scale.
We expect the assessment in WP2 to enable comparison of case study sites and transferability of results to other geographical areas. Moreover, the comparative analysis will enable researchers to monitor the quality of the project’s outcomes by ensuring their comparability and to produce a homogeneous input for the WEcoF innovation portal (WP4).
The main research activities conducted as part of WP2 are:
- Collection of water and agricultural data on water and land from local water industry and/or agricultural stakeholders.
- Selection of ecological and hydrological indicators to convey information on various aspects of water use in agricultural production at the farm scale for the case studies sites.
- Development of a hydrological model as a tool that will increase the understanding of the multidisciplinary interaction of the complex hydrological processes in the study sites.
- Conduct a comparative technical analysis between study sites on the key technical and ecological features that promote resilient and productive agro-ecosystems.