The Italian team, consisting of Prof. Antonio Coppola, from the University of Basilicata, and Prof. Stefania Da Pelo, Prof. Andrea Vacca and Dr. Francesca Lobina, from the University of Cagliari, visited the Moroccan case study in Gharb Area in the period 21-23 June 2024.
The Moroccan team consisted of Dr. Abdelmjid Zouahri, Dr. Fatima Ezahra Omari, Dr. Beniken Lhou, Prof. Houria Dakak and Dr. Hatim Sanad from Morocco’s National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA); as well as Prof. Souad El Hajjaji, Prof. Najoua Lajbar and Dr. Ouijdane El Ouali from Mohammed V University of Rabat.
The visit aimed at:
1) hydrogeological, hydrogeochemical and pedological characterization of the study area (i.e., groundwater aquifer type and its chemical characteristics, soil types, etc.);
2) collecting available data from the Moroccan partners (e.g., agricultural practices, nitrate levels in the irrigation canals, the river and the groundwater, etc.).
3) supporting the Moroccan partners by investigating the study area to find the best type and location of the treatment technology (PPT).
The Italian team recommended using constructed wetlands (CW) and its potential location. In addition, the Italian team took several water and soil samples to characterize them in the laboratories of the Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences at the University of Cagliari.
