About the INOWAS Summer Schools

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) represents the intentional recharge of surface water to aquifers. MAR can be applied for seasonal water storage, restoration of overexploited aquifers, prevention of land subsidence, control of salt water intrusion, improvement of water quality etc. Depending on local conditions and project objectives, aquifer augmentation can be primarily based on infiltration or interception techniques using water from different sources.

The series of INOWAS Summer Schools on MAR started in September 2016. The first summer school was organised from 4-9 September 2016 and attended by 26 participants from 18 countries (see photos here). In 2017, we continued with the second event in this series and organised the 2nd summer school with the duration of two weeks (4-15 September). Download flyer.

The curriculum of the 2nd INOWAS Summer School 2017 was structured in two main parts: A. Planning and optimisation of MAR schemes; and B. Practical implementation and case studies. The content will be presented in form of lecture notes, practical exercises, as well as computer-aided (geospatial and model-based) simulations. Although not being able to cover all aspects in detail, the summer school will offer a rather general overview on managed aquifer recharge that begins with the introduction to the MAR approach, including the characterization of main governing processes and their relevant parameters, followed by decisional workflows in selecting the proper MAR method and suitable location. A special session will be allocated to computer-aided simulation and analysis of different MAR scenarios using the free INOWAS-DSS web-based modeling platform. Besides the technical perspective, some general insights will be given into policy and legal regulations of MAR schemes, as well as relevant financial aspects. In the second week, the summer school will include also a role play 'MAR game' as well as field trips to MAR projects in Pirna, Dresden and Berlin.