Internship: Groundwater Storage - Middle East / North Africa

Aquifers are an important source of water in the MENA region, especially during droughts and dry seasons. However, aquifers across the arid MENA region are under stress from high rates of pumping and low rates of recharge. Aquifer yields can be sustained by using various methods collectively referred to as Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR), which capture storm water runoff and treated wastewater, then recharge it to underlying aquifers. ASR is a practical and cost-effective solution to capture millions of cubic meters of water that would otherwise be lost.
ASR is currently underutilized in the MENA region due to the high cost of site identification and difficulty matching ASR technology to site conditions. The goal of this activity is to improve water security in the MENA region by accelerating ASR. This activity will accelerate adoption of ASR by applying and disseminating new methods for mapping and identifying high potential ASR locations using remote sensing, geospatial data, and hydrologic analysis.