Author(s): Fatos Hoxhaj
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Seawater intrusion; Coastal aquifers; Numerical modeling; SUTRA; Water resources
Abstract: Seawater intrusion into the confined aquifer took place along the Albanian coastal area where is developed mainly gravelly alluvial aquifer. In the this aquifer the sea water intrusion is developed either by natural conditions or by water extraction. About 15 to 55 % of the surface of different coastal gravelly aquifers is affected by seawater intrusion. A severe salt water intrusion is taking place in the groundwater system due to low phreatic water levels in the area. Albania is situated in the southwestern part of Balkan Peninsula on the eastern coasts of Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Otranto Channel width about 80 km separates Albania by Italy. T h e Albanian coastline has a total length of 476 km, of which two thirds border Adriatic Sea and one third the Ionian Sea. The Adriatic coastal area is densely populated. Including Tirana City, the capital of Albania which is located about 30 km far from the coast, the population of Adriatic coastal area is more then 1, 5 million persons, equal to more than 50 % of country’s population. In the Adriatic coastal area is concentrated also more then 80 % of the industry and more then 70 % of agriculture. A massive tourism is under fast development in this area. In the Ionian coastal area there are only small traditional villages or towns. This area represents most valuable tourist resource for Albania, especially because of the many places of unspoilt natural beauty. The groundwater resources of Albania have been found to be abundant, with an uneven geographical and to a lesser extend to a seasonal distribution. Traditionally in Albania appears a clear separation between irrigation, which rely on surface water, and drinking and industrial water, taken from groundwater. Following a description of water resources of the Albanian coastal area, the research aims to adopt an improved multi-criteria approach to water resources under the influence of salt water intrusion using powerful techniques for a spatial analysis like SUTRA model, GIS and SDSS. The simulation model was based on the transition zone approach, which requires simultaneous solution of the governing water flow and solute transport equations. An irregular grid of a quadrangle was used to discretize the flow domain. Various aquifer parameters were verified with the numerical model in order to obtain satisfactory matches between computed values and observed data from an investigation. 5587
Year: 2005