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Abstract

The scientific and technical objectives of this project will focus on the evaluation of the potential of aquifers in the region and their pollution caused by pumping of groundwater. Attention will be paid to the subterranean infiltration of salt water from the sea into an arid, yet increasingly densely populated area. These investigations are accompanied by epidemiological research on the local population, which would be seriously affected by groundwater pollution, as well as investigations on environmental parameters, such as wildlife, vegetation and illegal sewage waste dumps. The collected data will be archived in long term storage database. The aim is to build a pool of knowledge in the centre of the Chouaïb Doukkali University in collaboration with the Data Center of the GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam. It addresses fundamental scientific, environmental and anthropological problems of national importance and societal relevance. Knowledge gained in this project will be a source for technology transfer and policy decisions. It is a pilot project which could serve as an example for similar projects in other regions of northern Africa and beyond.