Integrated Decision Support Tool for Reliable and Affordable Application of Manage Aquifer Recharge with Alternative Water Resources in River Basin and Drought Management Plans

Project Information

MARCLAIMED

Grant agreement ID: 101136799

DOI

10.3030/101136799

EC signature date 13 November 2023

Start date 1 February 2024

End date 31 January 2027

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 3 731 820,01

EU contribution

€ 3 209 652,75

Coordinated by

FUNDACION CENTRO ANDALUZ DE INVESTIGACIONES DEL AGUA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MARCLAIMED (Integrated Decision Support Tool for Reliable and Affordable Application of Manage Aquifer Recharge with Alternative Water Resources in River Basin and Drought Management Plans)

Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

MARCLAIMED addresses critical water scarcity issues affecting 20% of European territory and 30% of its population. The project promotes circular water systems through Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) with Alternative Water Resources (AWR), focusing on reclaimed water, treated wastewater, and agricultural drainage water. The initiative aims to integrate these solutions into River Basin and Drought Management Plans through three main pillars: operational efficiency using AI-based tools, economic sustainability through various assessment tools, and social acceptance via community engagement. The project is being validated across three demonstration sites in Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands, with an additional industrial feasibility study in Poland, addressing various climatic, political, and socio-cultural contexts. This approach tackles key challenges including water quality regulations, management plan integration, social acceptance, and economic performance under climate uncertainty.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

MARCLAIMED advances the implementation of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) with Alternative Water Resources (AWR) through innovative tools and methodologies. The project has developed specialized solutions including forecasting and virtual sensing technologies, water footprint assessments, and water reuse strategies at municipal and basin levels. MARCLAIMED's key achievements demonstrate significant progress in water management innovation through five major areas. First, the Tool Development has successfully advanced with the methodology definition of the 6 tools: MARVIS for near-real time nitrates monitoring in recharge water, PREDMAR for water availability forecasting, MARAISER for MAR performance optimization, OASIS FLOW for municipal water footprint assessment, MARINSURE for water security economic evaluation, and RECOVER for cost recovery mechanisms. All these tools have demonstrated promising preliminary results across demonstration sites. Second, the Integrated Decision Support Tool (IDST) established a robust architecture that seamlessly integrates all six specialized tools, featuring automated data processing capabilities, successful test environment deployment, and an advanced DataServiceProcessing framework for enhanced user interaction. Third, the Stakeholder Engagement Framework implemented a comprehensive five-step co-creation process across demo sites, incorporating detailed stakeholder mapping, social acceptance assessments, and agent-based simulations, culminating in successful workshops with diverse participant groups. Fourth, MAR Systems Validation has proven the effectiveness of various configurations, documenting substantial improvements in groundwater availability and quality, while demonstrating enhanced operational efficiency and system resilience across different climate conditions. Fifth, the Market Analysis and Future Planning component delivered comprehensive market segmentation, regulatory assessment, and competitor mapping, identifying significant opportunities in water-stressed regions and developing strategic frameworks for business development and intellectual property protection.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

MARCLAIMED introduces innovative tools and breakthroughs in MAR with AWR technology through ten key results. These include: MARVIS for real-time water quality monitoring, PREDMAR for AI-based water forecasting, MARAISER for MAR performance optimization, OASIS FLOW for water footprint assessment, MARINSURE for calculating insurance value, and RECOVER for cost recovery tariff settings. These tools are integrated into a comprehensive Decision Support Tool (MARCLAIMED IDST). The project also addresses social aspects through engagement actions (SE ACTIONS), agent-based social acceptance prioritization (SA ACTIONS), and development MAR guidelines for policy recommendations. Each innovation advances beyond the current state-of-art, building on previous project experiences while raising Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) to create more efficient, sustainable, and socially acceptable MAR systems.

MARCLAIMED Conceptual Scheme