CHOICE 3

This UE is sequenced according to the following activities: First steps - R environment; R structures; Input-output in R; Manipulating R structures; Basics of algorithmics; Programming structures in R; Group mini-project on an R function to be created on an applied 'Water' problem.

Objectives* :

The objectives of this course are 1) to introduce the basics of the interpreted language of an engineering tool (environment, structures, input-output, manipulations of structures, graphics, programming), 2) to provide the fundamental theoretical knowledge needed to create one's own functions and programs based on practical examples in water science, and 3) to enable students to pursue their self-training and expertise in R.

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Historically, the question of managing access to water resources first arose in relation to river water, which is highly dependent on current climatic conditions, and water supplied by man-made distribution systems. It is only more recently that groundwater has been considered for management, as it is less subject to cyclical scarcity problems (with the exception of groundwater accompanying rivers). In the majority of cases, access to groundwater is provided on an individual basis, with each user (especially farmers) drilling for water at the point of need. But these underground resources also require management, as they are increasingly exploited and sometimes even overexploited.

This module tackles the issue of groundwater resource management by first presenting the contribution of each physical science discipline (geology-hydrogeology, geochemistry, isotopy) and their tools to understanding aquifers (at geological level: outcrop, drilling, logging, seismic profiling, etc.; at hydrogeological level: piezometry, test pumping, withdrawal points/outlets, quantities withdrawn, etc.): geometry, structure and hydrological functioning.

It goes on to explain the value of groundwater for the various uses to which it is put. The economic value of groundwater is examined in this section (Qureshi et al., 2012). It also explains the difficulties involved in identifying these groundwater withdrawals and the methods used to reveal them.

It then describes the various problems posed by aquifers: current or future overexploitation of aquifers, deterioration in groundwater quality, threat of saltwater intrusion, salinization of soils, etc.

Finally, it lists the various methods available for rebalancing groundwater supply and demand. Firstly, it describes ways of increasing water supply (active groundwater management, substitutions between resources) or avoiding contamination of good-quality water by poorer-quality water. Examples: active management of karstic aquifers (Lez system), artificial recharge (e.g. Seine catchment fields in Paris), inter-seasonal/interannual recharge (Llobregat, Catalonia), recharge with wastewater (California), damming to avoid contamination of freshwater by saltwater.

Secondly, it outlines the solutions that act on water demand. These solutions are based on two drivers of individual decision-making, which can sometimes be combined: maximization of individual utility and inclusion in a society inducing "pro-social" behavior. We will explore solutions that act directly on the demand for groundwater (pricing, quotas, trading of water rights), as well as indirect solutions (purchase of land to protect a resource, agricultural or energy policies that can positively or negatively influence the development of individual abstraction, etc.).

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This module introduces the basics of optical and radar remote sensing, together with the fundamentals of image processing (consulting image catalogs on the Internet, downloading images, importing/exporting, visualization, contrast enhancement, radiometric and geometric image correction, segmentation, vectorization, classification, etc.). In addition, this module presents applications related to water management.

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