Workshop initiates new project on innovative subsurface water solutions

Many coastal regions around the world face saltwater intrusion, freshwater shortages and degradation of wetlands. The new SUBSOL project promotes integrated subsurface water solutions to counter these challenges. A recent workshop in Utrecht, Netherlands, marked the kick-off of this endeavour.

Rising populations and intense land use have put freshwater resources in many coastal areas under high pressure. Subsurface water solutions hold great potential to improve freshwater management and counter seasonal water shortages, saltwater intrusion into aquifers and degradation of wetlands. At their core, they combine innovative technology with an ecosystem approach and draw on a sophisticated understanding of water management. The composition of technologies, using among others Aquifer Storage and Recharge (ASR) and smart well designs and configurations, can be flexibly adapted to different socio-economic contexts and scales.

In order to further research and promote this technology, the four-year project SUBSOL was launched with a kick-off workshop on 8-9 October 2015. For this occasion, adelphi and the whole project consortium gathered in Utrecht, Netherlands, to deepen their understanding of the technology and to discuss the project approach. The project coordinator, the Dutch Watercycle Research Institute (KWR), introduced SUBSOL and shared past experiences, followed by working group discussions among activities. Eventually all partners were taken to a greenhouse area south of The Hague, where the technology is already implemented.

SUBSOL was designed as a multi-partner, international research endeavor. Within the consortium, adelphi’s role lies in building a promotional strategy that systematically creates acceptance for and speeds up market uptake of subsurface water solutions. The project is part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation and seeks to catalyze the market breakthrough of subsurface water solutions.