We are pleased to announce the publication of a new open-access scientific article in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, available on ScienceDirect, entitled:
“Enhancing groundwater resources through managed aquifer recharge: A SWAT application in arid southeastern Tunisia.”
The study, authored by Rym Hadded, Mongi Ben Zaied, Giulio Castelli, Fethi Abdelli, Bouajila Essifi, Elena Bresci and Mohamed Ouessar, investigates the effectiveness of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques in one of the most water-scarce regions of the Mediterranean: southeastern Tunisia.
Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), the authors modelled hydrological processes in three watersheds contributing to the Triassic aquifer of Sahel El Ababsa, comparing conditions before and after the implementation of Tunisia’s national Strategy for Water and Soil Conservation (SWSC). The analysis integrates traditional Water Harvesting Techniques (WHTs)—such as jessour and tabias—together with gabion structures and recharge wells.
The results demonstrate that rainwater-based MAR interventions significantly enhance groundwater recharge under arid conditions, despite declining rainfall and increasing evapotranspiration linked to climate change. The water balance shifted from 5% recharge before SWSC to 7.2% recharge after implementation, when recharge wells are included. In the Koutine watershed, WHTs alone induced an estimated +5% increase in groundwater recharge.
The study confirms SWAT’s suitability for simulating water balance and recharge processes in arid environments and provides quantitative evidence supporting the integration of traditional and modern MAR solutions into sustainable water management strategies.
🌍 This research offers valuable insights for water security, climate adaptation, and groundwater resilience in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide.
📄 Read the full article on ScienceDirect:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.103027