Remote Sensing of Water Resources in Semi-Arid Mediterranean Areas: the joint international laboratory TREMA

Monitoring of water resources and a better understanding of the eco-hydrological processes governing their dynamics are necessary to anticipate and develop measures to adapt to climate and water-use changes. Focusing on this aim, a research project carried out within the framework of French–Moroccan cooperation demonstrated how remote sensing can help improve the monitoring and modelling of water resources in semi-arid Mediterranean regions. The study area is the Tensift Basin located near Marrakech (Morocco) – a typical Southern Mediterranean catchment with water production in the mountains and downstream consumption mainly driven by agriculture. Following a description of the institutional context and the experimental network, the main recent research results are presented: (1) methodological development for the retrieval of key components of the water cycle in a snow-covered area from remote-sensing imagery (disaggregated soil moisture from soil moisture and ocean salinity) at the kilometre scale, based on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS); (2) the use of remote-sensing products together with land-surface modelling for the monitoring of evapotranspiration; and (3) phenomenological modelling based only on time series of remote-sensing data with application to forecasting of cereal yields. Finally, the issue of transfer of research results is also addressed through two remote sensing-based tools developed together with the project partners involved in water management and irrigation planning.

M. Zribi | S. Mangiarotti | G. Boulet | Y. Kerr | V. Simonneaux | A. Abourida | A. Boudhar | B. Berjamy | L. Drapeau | J. Ezzahar | R. Escadafal | L. Hanich | L. Jarlan | S. Khabba | M. Le Page | O. Merlin | B. Mougenot | A. Tavernier | S. Er-Raki | G. Bigeard | O. Hagolle | C. Szczypta | S. Belaqziz | H. Marah | A. Mokssit | Y. Kerr | O. Hagolle | O. Merlin | F. Habets | L. Jarlan | B. Coudert | F. Driouech | M. Leblanc | V. Simonneaux | S. Khabba | G. Boulet | M. Zribi | J. Ezzahar | A. Diarra | S. Er-raki | G. Aouade | A. Tavernier | R. Escadafal | S. Gascoin | C. Szczypta | P. Fanise | S. Mangiarotti | V. Le Dantec | Y. Tramblay | M. H. Kharrou | B. Mougenot | Y. Fakir | J. Chirouze | G. Bigeard | V. Le Dantec | N. Laftouhi | A. Benkaddour | L. Hanich | L. Drapeau | M. Le Page | A. Boudhar | A. Chakir | J. Chirouze | F. Habets | S. Gascoin | B. Berjamy | A. Saaïdi | J. Abaoui | M. El Adnani | A. El Fazziki | N. Amenzou | F. Raibi | A. El Mandour | H. Ibouh | M. El Faïz | N. Filali | S. Belaqziz | A. Marchane | J. Toumi | Y. Hajhouji | H. Nassah | K. Boukhari | A. Abourida | B. Richard | M. Kasbani | H. Marah | A. Naimi | P. Fanise | J. Toumi | Y. Fakir | A. Diarra | N. Filali | M.H. Kharrou | A. Saaïdi | A. Benkaddour | N. Laftouhi | J. Abaoui | F. Driouech | M. El Adnani | A. El Fazziki | N. Amenzou | F. Raibi | A. El Mandour | H. Ibouh | Y. Tramblay | M. Leblanc | M. El Faïz | B. Coudert | A. Marchane | G. Aouade | Y. Hajhouji | H. Nassah | K. Boukhari | B. Richard | M. Kasbani | A. Chakir | A. Naimi | A. Mokssit | M. L. Le Page | Younes Fakir | A. El Fazziki | M. Le Page

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