Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is a promising adaptation measure to reduce vulnerability to climate change and hydrological variability. MAR can play an important role as a measure to control over-abstraction and to restore the groundwater balance. It can be used to recharge aquifers subject to declining yields, to control saltwater intrusion or to prevent land subsidence. MAR may also be applied to sustain or improve the functioning of ecosystems and the quality of groundwater.
A main advantage of MAR technology is its flexibility and applicability to different scales and purposes. MAR is however not a remedy for water scarcity in all areas. Aquifer conditions must be suitable and (excess) source water must be present. The potential of MAR applications should be preliminarily assessed before field activities initiate.
IGRAC and MAR
IGRAC has experience in MAR research at both local and regional level. IGRAC can assess the hydrogeological, hydro-geochemical and socio-economic feasibility of MAR schemes in various aquifer settings and for various purposes and provide expert advice on the means of implementation. In brief, IGRAC's MAR activities can be divided into three main pillars: MAR in-situ assessment, regional mapping of MAR suitability and MAR information management.
The latter is done using the MAR Portal, which was a joint initiative of TU Dresden and IGRAC. If you would like to contribute MAR data to be shared within the MAR Portal please submit this data by filling out the Global MAR Inventory - Site submission form or contact us for more information. It is also possible to obtain your own dedicated web-GIS portal to improve the outreach and to increase visibility of MAR projects. Web-GIS portal gives the possibilities to facilitate easy information access and exchange between project partners and other stakeholders.
