IWRA - 1st ISLANDS WATER CONGRESS
Island Water Administration: Mediterranean and Atlantic Region (RS4)
Author(s): Francisco Rodrigues
Francisco Rodrigues, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of The Azores Islands, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Article: PDFOral: PDFAbstractThe sustainable development of the Azores involves rational management of available resources and their protection. The small size of the islands, combined with a rugged relief and a geological environment dominated by permeable volcanic formations, induces hydrological specificities, making island water bodies particularly vulnerable to climate change. Groundwater is the main source of fresh water on the Azores islands, with perched and basal aquifers being explored. Basal groundwater presents quality problems due to salinization processes.