N. Mylopoulos

A Stochastic Optimization Approach in the Design of an Aquifer Remediation under Hydrogeologic Uncertainty

A stochastic optimization approach is presented for the remediation design of a contaminated aquifer with limited hydrogeologic information. Stochastic simulation using the Monte Carlo technique, produces a series of equally probable realisations of the spatially varying random hydraulic conductivity field. The stochastic flow and transport simulation model is coupled, using the response matrix approach, with a nonlinear optimization algorithm. The whole process is integrated into an algorithm which is effectively applied in the case study of the Kalamaria aquifer, Chalkidiki, Greece. The stochastic optimization procedure is followed by a reliability analysis, giving useful information to the decision makers concerning the effectiveness of the optimal results.

Optimal Management of an Overexploited Aquifer under Climate Change: The Lake Karla Case

This paper presents a study for finding the optimal management plan of an overexploited aquifer under global climate change. The study area is the aquifer of the basin of Lake Karla, located in the eastern part of Thessaly in Greece. An optimization method has been used to evaluate the optimum volume of water that can be extracted from the aquifer and the optimum position of the wells with the objective of water table rise to a desirable sustainable level, taking into consideration the climate change forcing. The modelling system consists of a series of interlinked models: a hydrological, a lake-aquifer, a reservoir operation, a groundwater, and an optimization model. The climate change forcing on precipitation and temperature has been evaluated using the outputs of Canadian Centre for Climate Model Analysis General Circulation Model (CGCMa2) and a hybrid downscaling method which combines a multiple regression (MLR) model and a timeseries model for two socioeconomic emissions scenarios. The results of this study show that climate change plays an important role, as it affects the optimum volume of the extracted groundwater and the position of the irrigation wells.

Stochastic Simulation and Management of an Over-Exploited Aquifer Using an Integrated Modeling System

A modeling system for the stochastic simulation and management of the overexploited groundwater resources of Lake Karla Basin in Central Greece is presented. The uncertainty of the hydrogeological environment which arises from the lack of the hydraulic conductivity data and aquifer’s heterogeneity necessitates the stochastic simulation of the underlying aquifer. For the conditional stochastic simulation of hydraulic conductivity, the geostatistical approach was used generating Monte-Carlo realizations. The impact of Lake Karla (or reservoir) restoration and the accompanying projects on the aquifer, is examined through various management scenarios taking into consideration this parameter uncertainty. The target of the restoration plan is to rehabilitate aquifer’s water table. This will be achieved through shutting down a great number of irrigation wells, as the irrigation needs of cultivations will be covered by the reservoir. The project with the highest environmental impact on the aquifer is the construction of 50 water supply wells at the lakeside zone of Lake Karla. Nowadays, due to the intense agricultural cultivation, the study area faces a serious water deficit problem, which has led to the over-exploitation of non-renewable groundwater and to a dramatic drawdown of aquifer’s water table. The results of the stochastic simulation and management indicates that the operation of the new water supply wells will lead, despite the operation of the new reservoir, to a further drawdown of aquifer’s water table, and will increase the effect of parameter uncertainty on hydraulic heads estimation by groundwater model.

Evaluation of Water Resources Management Strategies to Overturn Climate Change Impacts on Lake Karla Watershed

The effects of climate change on meteorology, hydrology and ecology have become a priority area for research and for water management. It is crucial to identify, simulate, evaluate and, finally, adopt water resources management strategies to overturn the impacts of climate change. This paper is dealing with the assessment of climate change impacts on the availability of water resources and the water demands and the evaluation of water resources management strategies in the Lake Karla watershed, central Greece and it is a contribution to the “HYDROMENTOR” research project. The outputs of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling Analysis Global Circulation Model CGCM3 were downscaled using a statistical hybrid method to estimate monthly precipitation and temperature time series for present and future climate periods. The analysis was conducted for two future periods 2030–2050 and 2080–2100 and three SRES scenarios (A2, A1B and B1). The surface water and groundwater have been simulated for present and future climate periods using a modelling system, which includes coupled hydrologic models. Two operational strategies of hydro-technical project development are coupled with three water demand strategies. Overall, eight water management strategies are evaluated for present climate conditions and twenty four water management strategies for future climate conditions have been evaluated. The results show that, under the existing water resources management, the water deficit of Lake Karla watershed is large and it is expected to become critical in the future, even though the impact of climate change on the meteorological parameters is very moderate.

Full cost recovery in the urban residential sector according to the Water Framework Directive

Full cost recovery is a major and complex issue that has gained high recognition in recent years. The Water Framework Directive promotes the idea that water charging should act as an incentive for the sustainable use of water resources. Thus, all Member States should take into consideration the principle of recovery of the total cost of water services, which includes environmental and resource costs as well. In order to evaluate various aspects of current water policy, to investigate the perspectives of water saving, to explore new approaches toward sustainable water management in the water supply sector and to evaluate water price elasticity, a survey has been performed recently in the city of Volos, concerning the residential sector. The influence of some selected variables is examined, residential water demand curve and water price elasticity are calculated. Estimations of future water demand under different pricing policies are also performed. Finally, the full water cost for the city of Volos is estimated and essential conclusions concerning water pricing and public participation are drawn.

Agricultural and water resources development in Thessaly, Greece in the framework of new European Union policies

Abstract The main challenges that inter‐relate sustainable development with water resources management are to secure water for all humanity and for food production as well, to protect the ecosystems, to manage risk, to create public awareness, to urge political will and to ensure cooperation and coordination of action in an integrated way for both national and international water issues. The response of Europe comes through the new Water Framework Directive (WFD) for the sustainable management of all European waters. Moreover EU provides the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the sustainable development of rural areas which all member states should comply with. This paper evaluates the perspectives of water resources management and economic development in the greater Thessaly area ‐ an agricultural, rural area in Greece that faces a dramatic water resources problem, in the framework of the WFD 2000/60 and the new CAP.

Integrated water management plans for the restoration of lake Koronia, Greece

Abstract: Lake Koronia is a very important ecosystem of Greece which is almost vanishing because of non sustainable water management practice in the region. The ongoing unsystematic economic growth of the area has resulted to water depletion and environmental degradation with serious social and economic impacts. This paper presents an integrated water resources management plan for the reversal of the situation. First, a groundwater simulation model of the complex shallow – deeper aquifer system is developed to simulate the lake‐aquifer interaction. Second, this model is then used as a management tool for the development of alternative exploitation plans of the deeper aquifer. The impacts of these scenarios to the groundwater levels and balance are also considered and evaluated. For sustainability purposes, not only the rehabilitation of the lake water resources, but also the restoration of the disturbed groundwater balance considered. The finally suggested plan is a combination of an engineering project recharg the lake with groundwater from the deeper aquifer, and water saving measures the agricultural sector, through the implementation of a crop change program and the exist irrigation methods.

Estimation of crop water requirements using remote sensing for operational water resources management

An integrated modeling system, developed in the framework of “Hydromentor” research project, is applied to evaluate crop water requirements for operational water resources management at Lake Karla watershed, Greece. The framework includes coupled components for operation of hydrotechnical projects (reservoir operation and irrigation works) and estimation of agricultural water demands at several spatial scales using remote sensing. The study area was sub-divided into irrigation zones based on land use maps derived from Landsat 5 TM images for the year 2007. Satellite-based energy balance for mapping evapotranspiration with internalized calibration (METRIC) was used to derive actual evapotranspiration (ET) and crop coefficient (ETrF) values from Landsat TM imagery. Agricultural water needs were estimated using the FAO method for each zone and each control node of the system for a number of water resources management strategies. Two operational strategies of hydro-technical project development (present situation without operation of the reservoir and future situation with the operation of the reservoir) are coupled with three water demand strategies. In total, eight (8) water management strategies are evaluated and compared. The results show that, under the existing operational water resources management strategies, the crop water requirements are quite large. However, the operation of the proposed hydro-technical projects in Lake Karla watershed coupled with water demand management measures, like improvement of existing water distribution systems, change of irrigation methods, and changes of crop cultivation could alleviate the problem and lead to sustainable and ecological use of water resources in the study area.

A Collaborative Approach to Enviromental Modeling

Integrated Environmental Modeling Systems, (IEMS) are multidisciplinary systems which focus on complex environmental problems, decisions and policies. They are characterized by formulating dynamic and interdependent environmental, hydrological, climatological and sometimes socio-economical models under a unified framework that seeks to bridge the modeling, the monitoring and the decision making processes. The main concern of such systems is how to resolve various data and computational outcome inconsistencies emanated from the high computational burden, the lack of model interoperability and the model conceptualization characteristics. In this paper, we introduce an integrated modeling system that evaluates the hydrological, environmental ecosystem and socio-economic dynamics in lakes or wetland watersheds. Apart from the architectural design paradigm and the case study for the Lake Karla in Thessaly, Greece provided here, we also illustrate a roadmap for methodological planning, implementing, monitoring and managing such systems. Finally we provide the necessary steps of an environmentally related assessment process for such systems, however future research is needed to evaluate computational performance of this loosely coupled approach.

Development of a district information system for water management planning and strategic decision making

The overall objective of this work is the development of a District Information System (DIS) which could be used by stakeholders for the purposes of a district day-to-day water management as well as for planning and strategic decisionmaking. The DIS was developed from a GIS-based modeling approach, which integrates a generic crop model and a hydraulic model of the transport/distribution system, using land use maps generated by Landsat TM imagery. The main sub-objectives are: (i) the development of an operational algorithm to retrieve crop evapotranspiration from remote sensing data, (ii) the development of an information system with friendly user interface for the data base, the crop module and the hydraulic module and (iii) the analysis and validation of management scenarios from model simulations predicting the respective behavior. The Lake Karla watershed is used in this study, but the overall methodology could be used as a basis for future analysis elsewhere. Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was used to derive monthly actual evapotranspiration (ET) values from Landsat TM imagery. Meteorological data from the archives of the Institute for Research and Technology, Thessaly (I.RE.TE.TH) has also been used. The methodology was developed using high quality Landsat TM images during 2007 growing season. Monthly ET values are used as an input to CROPWAT model. Outputs of CROPWAT model are then used as input for WEAP model. The developed scenario is based on the actual situation of the surface irrigation network of the Local Administration of Land Reclamation (LALR) of Pinios for the year of 2007. The DIS is calibrated with observed data of this year and the district parameterization is conducted based on the actual operation of the network. The operation of the surface irrigation network of Pinios LALR is simulated using Technologismiki Works, while the operation of closed pipe irrigation network of Lake Karla LALR is simulated using Watercad. Four alternative scenarios have been tested with the DIS: reduction of channel losses, alteration of irrigation methods, Introduction of greenhouse cultivation, and operation of the future Lake Karla network. The results of the simulation for the historical period indicate that the water pumped from Pinios LALR is not enough to serve irrigation requirements. The spatial and temporal variation of the unmet and unsatisfied water demand has been estimated. Simulation of the four alternative scenarios indicated that the alteration of irrigation methods scenario mainly increases the efficiency of the irrigation network.