Research Group on Managed Aquifer Recharge / INOWAS

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) represents a valuable tool for the sustainable management of water resources. In a broader context, MAR can be defined as the purposeful recharge of an aquifer for later recovery or environmental benefits. The complex processes occurring at MAR schemes are generally studied either through direct observations or, based on simplifying assumptions, using physical and mathematical models. The approach proposed by the Research Group INOWAS introduces a multi-scale perspective for MAR modeling based on a combination of physical and mathematical models of different complexities and boundary conditions. Our concept includes different physical models customly tailored for the simulation of recharge basins and injection wells run under both laboratory and field pilot conditions, as well as the development of a comprehensive collection of analytical and numerical web-based models - the INOWAS DSS. The results of our practical and computer-based investigations permit the evaluation of the role of operational parameters and the impact of climate change on the general system's efficiency, as well as making practical recommendations for improving the performance of MAR concepts.