Climate Change effects in the central Mediterranean region are expected to lead to higher temperatures, reduced rainfall and a higher propensity for extreme events. Higher water demands particularly by the agricultural sector are anticipated, with concurrent lower recharge rates to groundwater, a main source of water for agriculture under semi-arid dry landscape conditions.

The conjunctive management of surface (including rainwater runoff) and groundwater resources provides the opportunity to use currently depleted aquifers experiencing long-term over-abstraction as subsurface water storage systems, carrying over water from periods of availability to the dry season.

The establishment of a robust governance framework for Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) activities is a key factor for ensuring the safe application of this technique and ensuring a sufficiently high level of protection for the groundwater environment, protecting its role as a natural water resource for the future.

The Water Framework and Groundwater Directives are the main legal instruments for the management of groundwater resources in the European Union. Analysis of the relevant regulatory provisions within these Directives through the EU-funded Marsol and Marsolut projects indicates that these constitute a sufficiently robust regulatory framework for safe MAR. Findings emphasize the importance of focusing on the quality of recharge water rather than its origin, the necessity of stringent quality control measures before water enters the MAR system and the critical role of permits based on comprehensive risk assessments of the entire MAR system.

This paper reviews the role of the EU’s regulatory framework in supporting MAR as a scientifically sound, safe and sustainable groundwater management strategy to address emerging Climate Change challenges.