Study of Seawater Intrusion in an Arid Region: Shallow Coastal Aquifer of Tunisia

Seawater intrusion is one of the most complex problems facing groundwater resources, particularly in coastal semi-arid and arid regions. Urban and economic development and the expansion of irrigated agriculture in south-eastern Tunisia have led to intensive and uncontrolled pumping. Over-exploitation of the shallow coastal aquifer, known as the Djeffara plain south-eastern Tunisia coastal aquifer, has led to the dropping of water tables. Water quality has been seriously degraded and salinity has been increasing in some wells. This study was carried out within the framework of an interregional project (RAF/8/035) financed by the IAEA with the aim of determining the origin of groundwater salinization in the shallow coastal aquifer and identifying areas where groundwater is affected by saltwater intrusion using isotopic methods.