Phyto-technology to reduce water pollution and sustain ... · Phyto-technology to reduce water pollution and sustain forestry and agroforestryactivities in the South Mediterranean

Phyto-technology to reduce water pollution and sustain forestry

and agroforestry activities in the South Mediterranean region

Paolo De AngelisDIBAF – University of Tuscia

Viterbo - Italy

PEOPLE INVOLVED

Paolo DE ANGELIS, Sara DA CANAL, Maria Cristina MONTEVERDIDepartment for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF)

University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy

Hocine LARBI, Ali MILOUDI, Mohamed BENSLIMANE, BenarichaBOUMEDIENE, Zahira SOUIDIBOUMEDIENE, Zahira SOUIDI

Laboratoire de Recherches des Systèmes Biologiques et Géomatique (LRSBG) University of Mascara, Mascara, Algeria

Zora GHAZI, Abdelkader BENKEIRA, Sabrina RACHEDI, Nars EddineKAZI AOUAL

Direction General des Forêt (DGF) , Alger, Algeria

“With a population (in 2010) of 507 million peopleon three continents and an extremely rich naturaland cultural heritage, the Mediterranean is an“ecoregion”, in which human and economicdevelopment is largely dependent on sometimes-

THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

development is largely dependent on sometimes-scarce natural resources and a vulnerableenvironment. After thousands of years of co-evolution between ecosystems and societies, humanactivities are creating substantial environmentalpressure, with significant disparities between thenorthern, southern and eastern rims.”

From: FAO State of Mediterranean Forests 2013

MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES, GROUPED INTO THREE SUBREGIONS

From: FAO State of Mediterranean Forests 2013

STEPPES AND DESERTS DOMINATES THE SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

Source: Derived from FAO and JRC, 2012 and Iremonger and Gerrand, 2011

The SEMCs accounted for a little more than one-quarter (27 percent) of the region’s water

WATER: A SCARCE AND UNEQUALLY DISTRIBUTED RESOURCE

Water resources, Mediterranean countries, 2012Source: FAOSTAT, 2012, AQUASTAT database

of the region’s water resources in 2009. If Turkey is excluded, they accounted for only 6 percent, yet they are home to 40 percent of the region’s population.

Human pressure

�Demographic growth

�Over-exploitation of natural resources

�New techniques of agricultural production (i.e. pivot) and water/soil management (ex.

THE SIMULTANEOUS NATURE OF BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS CAUSES OASIS DEGRADATION

Impacts• Groundwater depletion• Vegetation reduction• Water and soil pollution• Soil salinity• Soil degradation• Cultural and social impacts

water/soil management (ex. water retention basin and dam) are gradually destroying traditional organization

Climate changes

� Persistence of high temperatures

� Low precipitation

� The rise in frequency of extreme events like dust storms and heavy rain

Ouargla, Algeria - AFRICA: Atlas of Our Changing Environment - UN

How can we avoid the risk of ground water and soil pollution?

How can we develop the oasis without damaging the palm grove?

Improving of agroforestry plantation:�reclamation of marginal degraded land�establishment of a green belt that protects the palm grove �protection of soil from wind erosion�bringing of economic benefits�carbon sequestration

Development of non-conventional water resources:

�wastewater harvesting

�natural treatment system

�treated wastewater reuse

MODULAR APPROACH

Natural wetlands act as bio-filters, removing sediments and pollutants fromthe water; constructed wetlands can be designed to emulate these features.Vegetation in a wetland provides a substratum (roots, stems, and leaves)upon which microorganisms can grow as they break down organic materials.The plants remove about 70% to 90% of pollutants, and act as a carbon sourcefor the microbes when they decay.

CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS TO TREAT THE WASTE WATER

Phytotechnologies use plants to remediate various media impacted withdifferent types of contaminants.

PILOT APPLICATIONS OF PHYTOTECHNOLOGIES IN THE SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

Projects sponsors

In different sites, we are developing an integrated approach to reduce water pollution(treating the waste water by constructed wetland) and to promote land rehabilitation(planting trees according to a multipurpose scheme and local needs).

UNIVERSITÉ DE

MASCARA

Scientific & technical partners

PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN ALGERIA - OASES

THE OASIS OF BRÉZINA – ALGERIA

� Groundwater depletion resulting from two combined effects: the increasing urban population and the excessive retention of Seggueur dam upstream of the oasis

� Palm grove death

� Risk of groundwater contamination due to the outflow of untreated wastewateroutflow of untreated wastewater

Two parallel natural treatment chains compose the system :• CW B is a constructed wetland with horizontal superficial flow and it is composed by three cells alternating aerobic to anaerobic process.• CW A is a constructed wetland with horizontal sub-superficial flow composed by three separated cells.• A final storage basin is required to homogenize the flow rate variation during the day and to provide a minimal water storage.

A PILOT - EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEM

The experimental multi-purpose agro-forestry system is designed to test different culturalthesis, which can be integrated in large scale, and to generate several environmentalservices as: combat desertification, sequester atmospheric CO2, creates new habitats andconserve the biodiversity, maximise the water use efficiency. At the same time theexperimental system would generate new sustainable local economies.

A PILOT - EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEM

Agroforestry testing plots: species (wood & forage); densities (biomass); genotypes evaluation

THE OASIS OF TAGHIT - ALGERIA

Zousfana river, along which stretches the oasis ofTaghit, is the main source of water for the area. Thesurface runoff caused by precipitation on thehydrologic units, its manifest form of floods veryimportant since the watersheds of major rivers arerelatively stretched north - south and drain largereliefs. Along the valley of river Zousfana, floodrunoff play an important role in the recharge ofgroundwater of the oasis of Taghit, also consideringgroundwater of the oasis of Taghit, also consideringthat the mean period between two major floods is ofabout two years. Meanwhile the flood is the mainprocess diluting the mineral and organic loads of theriver Zousfana resulting from direct discharges ofsewage.

THE GENERAL SCHEME OF CONSTRUCTED WETLAND

DIFFERENT DESIGNS ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS

CONSOLIDATION OF THE SLOPES USING WOODY PLANTS

AROMATIC PLANTS AND SHRUBS TO REDUCE THE IMPACTS OF

TREATMENT BASIN

TEST PLOTS FOR FIELD TRIAL OF TREES SPECIES IRRIGATED WITH

TREATED WASTE WATER

The city of Ouechtata is located in the area of the dam of Sidi el Barrak. The dam is located on the river Zouaâra, 2 km from the coast and it blocks about 265 million cubic meters of water. The area of the reservoir reached 2734 hectares and the normal level of the water is about 27 meters from the sea level.

THE PROJECT AREA OF OUECHATA - TUNISIA

Protect the water reservoir from reservoir from

pollution

The aquifer of Nefza, is in the dunes and covers an area of some 40 km2. It is in contact with the sea over a length of 10 km. The groundwater is of excellent quality (salinity less than 0.5 g/l). The rate of abstraction determines the intrusion of seawater.

THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION AND MANY THANKS TO ALL THE FRIENDS THAT WE ENCOUNTERED ON THE ROAD