A governance framework for managed aquifer recharge agreements in Mediterranean regions
Journal
Groundwater for Sustainable Development
ISSN
2352-801X
Date Issued
August 2026
Author(s)
Ghannem, Syrine
Bergillos, Rafael J.
Paredes-Arquiola, Javier
Solera, Abel
Andreu, Joaquín
Leitão, Teresa E.
Martins, Tiago N.
Conrad, Anika
Abstract
With the intensification of global water scarcity issues, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) has become an approach to improve groundwater resilience and promote long-term water sustainability. This study develops a general governance framework for MAR agreements that emphasizes the need for adaptability, public engagement and comprehensive regulations to effectively manage MAR systems. This framework takes into consideration different contexts and their impact on the design and feasibility of MAR agreements in four Mediterranean case studies in Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, and Cyprus. The framework demonstrates that successful MAR governance depends on the alignment between technical feasibility, stakeholder participation, regulatory integration and financial sustainability. It guides managers from initial feasibility stages to the formalization of locally adapted MAR agreements highlighting common governance principles despite contrasting legal and institutional settings. The findings show the capacity of the framework to translate technical feasibility into functional governance roadmaps tailored to regional legal climates. Technical validation justifies these interventions by revealing localized potential benefits, including a projected 38% reduction in groundwater pumping in Spain, a lower-cost treatment in Portugal, groundwater level recovery of up to 23.6 m in Tunisia, and a 7.4 m groundwater rise in Cyprus. Furthermore, the framework identifies stakeholder engagement, adaptive monitoring, and flexible agreement structures as critical factors for long-term MAR implementation. Based on these findings, the proposed MAR governance framework has been able to adapt to different levels of institutional maturities leading to concrete outputs tailored to the local context, ranging from signed letters of intent for future management planning to formal institutional charter adapted to local governance maturity. This work provides decision-makers with a scalable, actionable model to overcome non-technical barriers a co-create accountable, socially accepted MAR implementation strategies. It also offers transferable lessons for the development of resilient MAR governance models in other regions facing similar governance challenges.
Affiliation
Funding
This work has been carried out within the framework of the AGREEMAR project, funded under the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA). The PRIMA program is supported under Horizon 2020 by the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation. The project has received co-funding from the respective National Funding Agencies: Germany (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung – BMBF, grant no. 02WPM1649), Cyprus (Research & Innovation Foundation – RIF, grant no. 0321- 0024), Portugal (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – FCT, grant no. PRIMA/0004/2021), Spain (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación – MCI, grant no. PCI2022-133001) and Tunisia (Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique – MESRSI, grant no. PRIMA/TN/21/07). The authors would also like to thank all AGREEMAR project partners and national, regional, and local stakeholders involved in the four case studies for their collaboration, technical contributions, and valuable insights throughout the research process.
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