Smartphone application

The smartphone application developed as part of the eGroundwater project aims to enable groundwater users to contribute to the production of the information needed to manage water resources, as part of collaborative governance involving users and government representatives. In particular, it enables users to declare their boreholes and irrigated areas, and also to share their measurements of water table depth and groundwater quality. It has also been designed to provide services to users, particularly in terms of irrigation advice.

The application has been discussed with stakeholders in Morocco and Spain, raising a number of questions:

• From a technical point of view, the development of a generic application, using a proprietary platform developed by a private company, gave rise to reticence on the part of the players likely to use it. This ‘one size fit all’ solution is perceived as too rigid, as it does not allow the tool to be adapted to the specific characteristics of each area (different regulatory, agricultural or hydrogeological contexts), nor to evolve over time to adapt to the growing needs of users. A technical solution based on open source IT tools would therefore be preferable, as it would allow the tool to be customised and made progressively more complex. An open source solution would also have the advantage of providing security for managers, guaranteeing them control over the technical tool and the data (less dependence on a single private player).
• From a governance point of view, the availability of the smartphone application was considered premature, particularly in Morocco, where the institutional framework for collaborative management had not yet been stabilised. A ley lesson is that tis type of tool should only be developed once the groundwater management rules have been agreed upon, its role being merely to enable the operational implementation of these rules.
• From a societal point of view, the introduction of such an application raises major questions on the part of the users concerned about the transparency of individual data, the ways in which information is shared and its security. These issues must be debated before the technical design of the tool.
  Two videos provide more information: 1) one presenting the functionalities of the app; 2) another one presenting the possible contribution of the application to groundwater management and the reactions of Spanish and Moroccan stakeholders.

Two videos provide more information:

1. One presenting the functionalities of the app.
2. Another one presenting the possible contribution of the application to groundwater management and the reactions of Spanish and Moroccan stakeholders.