Water and food security are among the most important pillars supporting socio-economic
development of the southern countries, particularly in response to climate and global change. In many
of these countries improving water security cannot be done without enhancing the knowledge on one
of the most abundant but at the same time poorly understood water sources, namely groundwater.
Our research aims to address the most widespread problem linked to groundwater exploitation in
heavily populated coastal aquifers, namely that of saltwater intrusion. Uncontrolled exploration of
such groundwater bodies by large water users leads to groundwater quality problems that directly
affect domestic supply and crop productivity. Our approach is to work together with key stakeholders
and water users in three different settings: Peri-urban Great Maputo (Mozambique), Tra Vinh province
in the Mekong Delta (Vietnam) and Laizhou Bay (China, self-funded), towards understanding the
dimension and environmental, social and economic impacts of the existing groundwater salinization
problems, and developing feasible solutions, both in the present situation and under future climate
and socio-economic change. For this purpose monitoring tools and networks will be evaluated and
optimised, models of groundwater flow and salt transport will be developed, recharge/demand ratios
and salinity-yield relations will be studied in detail within the local contexts, and model predictions will
be made based on water availability, demand and management scenarios. Mitigation and adaptation
measures, such as optimized pumping practices and well locations, managed aquifer recharge, and
alternative land uses (e.g. salt-tolerant crops, aquaculture), will be co-designed with local
stakeholders. Their technical, social and economic feasibility will be evaluated, thereby comparing
results and exchanging experiences between the three case studies. Project outcomes are expected to
have major impacts through shifts towards more sustainable pumping practices of the coastal
aquifers, optimized participatory groundwater salinity monitoring, information-based groundwater
resources management, and facilitated adoption of measures that through their implementation will
contribute to improving water security and related socio-economic conditions.
