Suswater – A common cross-border strategy for the prevention of Seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers and the integrated management of their adiacent ecosystems

Suswater project aims to tackle with seawater intrusion, which constitutes a major threat for coastal areas, in order to develop a joint approach supporting sustainable groundwater resources management and protection of their coastal and rural ecosystems.

In other words, a common SusWater Model will be delivered through the Project, integrating environmental monitoring, assessment and decision making to protect the freshwater resources of coastal aquifer from the salinization caused by seawater intrusion and, eventually protect and preserve the good ecological status of their  ecosystems and biodiversity. In this context, a comprehensive database and research will be produced for the collection of primary data, the recording and analysis of ecosystems, as well as the vulnerability estimation and the definition of protection zones. Moreover, Monitoring & Modeling, along with IT Development will be delivered for the elaboration of decision-making, simulation techniques and management plans through an interactive GIS, a DSS and the SusWater Model.

Lead Partner of the project is the Decentralized Administration of Epirus and West Macedonia in cooperation with A.I.P- Apulian Water Authority, Universus CSEI -Consortium of Universities for Training and Innovation and UPI -Union of the Provinces of Puglia  on the Italian side, the Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and Ionian Islands  on the Greek side. Associated partner is the General Secretariat for Environment and Water.