Application of the SWAT Model on the Medjerda River Basin

The Medjerda river basin (Northern Tunisia) is experiencung an intensification of agriculture and the irrigated area is increasing rapidly. The SWAT (soil and Water Assessment Tool) model, a soil, water, sediment and nutrient transformation and fate simulator for agricultural watersheds, was applied to this catchment to study the potential impact of land management scenarios. The model was able to represent the hydrological cycle even though some discrepancies were observed, probably due to a lack of sufficient rainfall data, and due to the lack of representation of resservoirs. It was predicted that converting all agricultural land to irrigated crop introduced significant changes on nitrate concentration in surface water. However the concentration was still below the limit of potability. It was also predicted that drastic reduction in the load of ammonium and phosphorous could be achieved by collecting and treating wastewater from major urban areas

BOURAOUI Faycal;  BENABDALLAH S.;  JRAD A.; 

2006-02-14

ELSEVIER

JRC32539

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC32539,   

10.1016/j.pce.2005.07.004,