A WG4 and WG2 production!

Using stable isotopes to inform water resource management in forested and agricultural ecosystems

In this paper, we focus on how to convey to stakeholders the importance and usefulness of isotopic analysis methods in water management

Our paper in brief

Who are the stakeholders?
Who are the stakeholders?
Anyone who can directly or indirectly benefit from a detailed knowledge of water storage and fluxes, such as farmers and foresters, but also urban water and garden managers, risk managers, land reclamation authorities, and also policy makers.
How can stakeholders use the stable isotopes
How can stakeholders use the stable isotopes
Stable isotopes are tracers, or fingerprints, that can help us to understand where water comes from and where it flows. They have been used for decades in research and have helped to answer many scientific questions.
Is there specific examples of practical applications?
Is there specific examples of practical applications?

1) The effect of agricultural management on the concentration of pollutants (in this case nitrate) in groundwater. What could be done to reduce the leaching into deep soil layers?

2) Estimate the vulnerability of private wells for water supplies to dry periods under climate change. What can be done to minimize unpleasant consequences?

3) Gather information on recharge dynamics of a recently discovered aquifer before approving its
exploitation for domestic water supply. Is this water of fossil origin? or is it actively recharged?

4) Develop decision support tools to estimate the contribution of urban greening to carbon and to
maximize the impoacto of urban greening on local climate.

Read our paper

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