Understanding river-sediment-soil-groundwater interactions for support of management of water bodies (river basin & catchment areas)

- Changes in climatic conditions, land use practices and soil and sediment pollution have large scale adverse impacts on water quantity and quality. The current knowledge base in river basin management is not adequate to deal with these impacts. AquaTerra is both integrating and developing knowledge to resolve this and disseminating it to stakeholders. In the water cycle, soil is a key element affecting groundwater recharge and the chemical composition of both subsurface and surface waters (the latter is additionally affected by sediments). The proper functioning of the river-sediment-soil- groundwater system is linked to key biogeochemical processes determining the filter, buffer and transformation capacity of soils and sediments.