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Assessment of Agriculture Pressures Impact on the Joumine River Water Quality Using the PEGASE Model

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Abstract

The protection of the aquatic environment while managing the risk of water scarcity in the Mediterranean region is challenging. Ensuring future sustainability of water resources needs improved monitoring networks and early warning system of future trends of water quality. A specific concern is given to nonpoint source pollution from agriculture, which is often the main source of water quality degradation in rivers. In this work, we focused on the Joumine river basin, a rural-catchment situated north Tunisia dominated by agricultural activities and exposed to eutrophication problems. Aiming to present an assessment framework of the spatial–temporal water quality variability and quantify “pressure-impact” relationships, we used a physically based modeling approach involving the river/basin integrated model PEGASE (Planification Et Gestion de l’ASsainissement des Eaux). PEGASE simulates watercourses physicochemical quality depending on the morphology of the drainage network, hydrometeorological conditions and natural and anthropogenic influences. Simulation results showed a better description of Joumine river water quality and helped in identifying exposed areas to nutrients export. Results have also emphasized the contribution of different pollution sources. We were able to examine the potential impact of agriculture diffuse pollution and we found that Nitrate is the element mostly threatening water quality. The nutrients patterns suggest that climate and farming practices are important factors controlling their transfer. These findings demonstrate that the adopted assessment approach in investigating the behavior of the studied hydrosystem can be a useful support to develop an appropriate surface water quality management program in a semiarid context.

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Abbreviations

DO:

dissolved oxygen

COD:

chemical oxygen demand

PEGASE:

Planification Et Gestion de l’ASsainissement des Eaux

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Agronomy institute of Tunisia and the Aquapole of University of Liège. The first author received a scholarship from the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility program awarded by the University of Liège on behalf of the European Commission. The authors acknowledge the Environmental protection agency in Tunisia (ANPE) and Prof. Olfa Mahjoub in the National Researches Institute of Rural Engineering, Water and Forest (INRGREF) for their support in performing chemical analysis. The authors also appreciate the help of Prof. Zohra Lili Chabaane and Dr Zeineb Kassouk for providing useful data and valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Agronomy Institute of Tunisia, GREEN-TEAM Laboratory, University of Carthage, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, 1082, Tunis Mahrajène, Tunisia

    Amira Boukari & Hamadi Habaieb

  2. Aquapôle Research and Development unit, Freshwater and Oceanic Science Unit of Research, University of Liège, Quartier Polytech 1, Allée de la découverte, 11-bât.B53, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Amira Boukari, Etienne Everbecq, Pol Magermans, Aline Grard & Jean-François Deliège

  3. Center for Water Research and Technologies, CERTE, BP 273, 8020, Soliman, Tunisia

    Sihem Benabdallah

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  1. Amira Boukari
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  2. Sihem Benabdallah
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  3. Etienne Everbecq
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Correspondence to Amira Boukari.

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Boukari, A., Benabdallah, S., Everbecq, E. et al. Assessment of Agriculture Pressures Impact on the Joumine River Water Quality Using the PEGASE Model. Environmental Management 64, 520–535 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-019-01207-1

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