This research work is intended as a contribution to the development of a multicriteria methodology, combining several factors to control the availability of groundwater resources, in order to optimize the choice of location of future drilling and increase the chances to take water from productive structures which will satisfy the ever-increasing water demand of local population (Arghen basin in the Western Anti-Atlas chain of Morocco). The geographic information system is used to develop thematic maps describing the geometry and the hydrodynamic functioning of the aquifer. In this study, 11 factors including geology, topography, and hydrology, influencing the distribution of water resources were used. Based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, GIS, and remote sensing, the study mapped and classified areas according to their hydrogeological potential. The favorable potential sectors cover 17% of the total area of the basin. The medium potential sectors account for 64%, while the unfavorable areas cover 18% of the basin area. The groundwater potential map of the study area has been validated by comparing with data from 159 boreholes scattered throughout the basin.

This study is focused on developing an approach for spatial mapping of groundwater by considering four types of factors (geological, topographical, hydrological, and climatic factors), and by using different bivariate statistical models, such as frequency ratio (FR) and Shannon’s entropy (SE). The developed approach was applied in a fractured aquifer basin (Ameln Basin, Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco), to map the spatial variation of groundwater potential. Fifteen factors (15) influencing groundwater were considered in this study, including slope degree, slope aspect, elevation, topographic wetness index (TWI), slope length (LS), topographic position index (TPI), plane curvature, profile curvature, drainage density, lineament density, distance to rivers and fault network, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), lithology, and land surface temperature (LST). The potential maps produced were then classified into five classes to illustrate the spatial view of each potential class obtained. The predictive capacity of the frequency ratio and Shannon’s entropy models was determined using two different methods, the first one based on the use of flow data from 49 boreholes drilled in the study area, to test and statistically calibrate the predictive capacity of each model. The results show that the percentage of positive water points corresponds to the most productive areas (high water flow) (42.86% and 30.61% for the FR and SE models, respectively). On the other hand, the low water flows are consistent with the predicted unfavorable areas for hydrogeological prospecting (4.08% for the FR model and 6.12% for the SE model). Additionally, the second validation method involves the integration of 7200 Hz apparent resistivity data to identify conductive zones that are groundwater circulation zones. The interpretation of the geophysical results shows that the high-potential zones match with low apparent resistivity zones, and therefore promising targets for hydrogeological investigation. The FR and SE models have proved very efficient for hydrogeological mapping at a fractured basement area and suggest that the northern and southern part of the study area, specifically the two major fault zones (Ameln Valley in the north, and the Tighmi-Tifermit Valley in the south) has an adequate availability of groundwater, whereas the central part, covering the localities of Tarçouat, Boutabi, Tililan, and Ighalen, presents a scarcity of groundwater. The trend histogram of the evolution of positive water points according to each potentiality class obtained suggests that the FR model was more accurate than the SE model in predicting the potential groundwater areas. The results suggest that the proposed approach is very important for hydrogeological mapping of fractured aquifers, and the resulting maps can be helpful to managers and planners to generate groundwater development plans and attenuate the consequences of future drought.

The management of water resources is crucial for sustainable development, necessitating innovative solutions to address the increasing demand for safe water. Alternative approaches must be adopted to effectively engage young generations in understanding the importance of water resources. This chapter reports on an experiment that aimed to promote sustainability education by linking wastewater treatment and reuse with an educational garden. In particular, an undertaking was executed to establish a decentralized wastewater treatment system wherein purified water was employed for the purpose of irrigation. The study’s primary focus is on the association between urban water management, wastewater recycling, and environmental education. The study has two distinct components. The first segment discusses three examples of projects that have employed urban wastewater treatment and reuse to generate environmental education materials using various approaches. The second component features a case study of a public high school in Casablanca, where students participated in a questionnaire and participatory workshops to design an educational garden. The study’s outcomes include a proposed educational garden design that will be presented to the relevant authorities and project partners.

Le comportement d'une émergence karstique (source Bittit, Moyen Atlas marocain) soumise à une sécheresse prolongée (>20 ans), est analysé par des méthodes d'étude des hydrogrammes et des méthodes corrélatoires et spectrales. Deux séries de débit, correspondant à une période pluviométrique normale et à une période de sécheresse, sont analysées. Les résultats montrent que le système karstique est inertiel, avec des réserves très importantes. Cependant malgré le grand pouvoir régulateur des réserves, la longue période de sécheresse a eu pour conséquence une diminution significative des débits, du fait d'apports moins diversifiés et d'une réduction des réserves.

In urban context, wetlands play a proven role in retaining pollution, alleviating the impacts of climate change, and enhancing the well-being of citizens. Managing these ecosystems requires formulating an integrated development policy reconciling protection, enhancement, and the satisfaction of economic and social needs. Achieving this goal requires the establishment of a holistic and collaborative vision that engages all stakeholders. This paper focuses on rehabilitating the El Oulfa Pond located in Casablanca, outlining the role of civil society and scientists in producing quantitative and qualitative data. This work aims to facilitate an informed decision-making process concerning the pond's development. The quantitative analysis enabled us to characterize the water quality and identify the biodiversity of El Oulfa pond. The outcomes underscore that 60% of the bird species whose presence around the pond is confirmed require a habitat in a wetland. Some species identified are classified as rare, or endangered. 23% of the recorded plants are indicative of a natural area of ecological Interest. These characteristics are important to take into consideration when developing the site. The biodiversity in El Oulfa pond could be jeopardized by significant water pollution. Indeed, the parameters of surface water monitored between 2015 and 2021 show concentrations that exceed the Moroccan thresholds relating to fish water quality. This suggests that for these parameters, the ecosystem does not provide conditions conducive to the maintenance of biodiversity. This pollution also poses challenges for residents who have expressed, during the open forum and interviews conducted in this study, the critical need for depollution and securing the pond before initiating any development. Building upon the study's findings, development strategies have been proposed to enhance the site and promote collective stewardship.