Vulnerability of coastal aquifers and groundwater quality: Ghar El Melh (Tunisia) and Bou-Areg (Morocco).

Within the framework of the GEF UNEP/MAP Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (MedPartnership), UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme (IHP) is executing the sub-component related to the "Management of Coastal Aquifers and Groundwater". The aim of this subcomponent is to reverse the trends in over-extraction and degradation in the quality of coastal aquifers in the Mediterranean coastal zone through policy interactions for providing appropriate capacity and technology for groundwater management. The activities focus on assessing the risks to coastal aquifers and associated uncertainties, the preparation of a regional action plan, demonstrations in collaboration with other sub-components (ICZM, IWRM) and the drafting of legislative, policy and institutional reforms contributing to the implementation of the Barcelona Convention and the related Protocols.