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The Mediterranean region is highly susceptible to the consequences of warming, leading to an increasing of extreme events such as droughts, severe heat waves, and precipitation events. The Messinia watershed (MW) is predominantly characterized by olive cultivation, encompassing approximately 70% of the landscape. These olive orchards constitute a vital component of the Mediterranean ecosystem, playing a crucial role in regional agriculture. The MW is a perfect illustration of a Mediterranean watershed significantly impacted by climate change, as well as soil degradation and a lack of effective land management practices. In this context, agro-hydrological modelling emerges as a potent tool to address soil degradation and enhance water resource retention within the olive orchards at the watershed scale. To achieve this objective, the SWAT+ agrohydrological model was chosen for a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of climate change on water resources and ecosystems in the Messinia region. The adopted modelling approach involved both hard and soft calibration techniques, simulating four sub-watersheds of Messinia by incorporating remote sensing data, including evaporation and soil moisture, for multi-criteria model calibration. The calibrated model was subsequently employed to assess the potential impacts of climate change on water resources and ecosystems in the Messinia region, utilizing various RCM climate scenarios. Our findings are valuable for addressing soil degradation, as well as for guiding land and water management practices in the Messinian watershed. This research was carried out within the SALAM-MED project, funded by the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area Programme (PRIMA). The content of this abstract reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Bouizrou et al. (Fri,) studied this question.