IGRAC presented the MAR Portal at ISMAR9 in Mexico

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During the 9th International Symposium on MAR (ISMAR9) held in Mexico City, IGRAC presented the recently launched MAR portal. The MAR portal is the first structured database on MAR sites globally. The MAR inventory is the result of work by the INOWAS research group from TU Dresden, a consortium of researchers within the EU-funded project DEMEAU (Demonstration of promising technologies to address emerging pollutants in water and waste water) and IGRAC. The project is supervised by the MAR Commission of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH). 

About the MAR portal

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MAR portal
MAR Portal

To increase the availability and facilitate continuous update of the MAR inventory, a MAR web-GIS portal was developed. About 1200 case studies from over 50 countries from around the world were collected, analysed and compiled in the global inventory of MAR schemes. The inventory contains information such as site name, location, MAR type, year of scheme deployment, the source of infiltration water, the final use of abstracted water, as well as the main objectives of the project. By facilitating access and promoting international sharing of information and knowledge on MAR, the MAR portal encourages stakeholders to regard MAR as a viable solution for sustainable groundwater resources development and management.

ISMAR9 - Global MAR inventory workshop

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IGRAC at ISMAR9 in Mexico
IGRAC at ISMAR9 in Mexico

A pre-conference workshop on the global MAR inventory was organized by TU Dresden and IGRAC on Monday 20 June at the ISMAR9, Mexico-city. The workshop introduced the MAR portal, the methodology used for data collection, key information collected, and statistical data analysis. Discussion sessions were organized to address various aspects related to: How to use the portal, and recommendations to improve the portal. The attendees pointed out that:

  • The portal can be a useful tool for MAR promotion, and to inspire and motivate people.
  • The dissemination of results from successful projects could help stakeholders to understand the benefits of MAR and adopt the methodology on a larger scale.
  • Hydrogeologists can use it as a reference to find MAR projects in the region, or related projects in comparable hydrogeological settings or climate zones.  

Get involved

If you have information on MAR sites or MAR suitability maps that should be included in the MAR portal, or if have information to improve the currently available data in the portal, please get in touch and help us to improve availability of information on MAR sites. Contact: marportal@un-igrac.org.