Development of a Decision Support System (ElmaaDSS) for the integrated water management of Mediterranean phosphate mining areas

The phosphate industry is a major contributor to the economy of many South Mediterranean countries. Large volumes of water are required by the mining industry in areas where water resources are scarce. The integrated management of water in the influence zone of phosphate mines with due respect to other sectors of the economy and populations is a way to further develop these regions. To achieve this objective, the implementation of a Decision Support System constitutes an innovative tool, which offers an integral view of water management in the phosphate mining areas and gives an overview of the interconnections and interactions between the various economic sectors. This paper presents the development of the ElmaaDSS Decision Support System, which was built in the framework of the EU project ELMAA. ElmaaDSS was developed with an integrated approach that takes into account water resources, water consumers and relations between them. It was implemented with Object Oriented Programming Techniques, using Visual Studio.NET. It consists of calculation and optimization routines, an easy to use Graphical User Interface, a Database, and a Knowledge Base. A first application of the ElmaaDSS software in Gafsa mines area, Tunisia, is also presented. This case study demonstrates that ElmaaDSS is a valuable tool for decision-makers to improve the current situation of water scarcity without hampering the development of economical sectors such as mining and agriculture.