Hydrology – Water Resources Management

Course Description

Objectives

The course on “Hydrology – Water Resources Management” provides an introduction to the basic concepts of Hydrology, the concept of the Hydrological balance of a drainage basin, the estimation of its individual parameters, as well as the concept of proper water resource management. The main objective of the course is to understand the various stages of the hydrological cycle that are essential for the proper management of a region's water resources.

The teaching of the course requires a combination of theoretical lectures and laboratory exercises. Laboratory exercises help improve familiarity with the concepts taught in theoretical classes, while also having practical significance, such as the quantitative estimation of the parameters of the hydrological balance of a real drainage basin.

Content

Theory: Definition and scope of Hydrology. The hydrological cycle, methodologies for calculating precipitation, surface runoff, evapotranspiration, and infiltration. Groundwater and types of aquifers. Flood risk and flood risk assessment methodologies. Proper water resource management and management practices. Water resource management in Greece and Europe. The water supply system of Athens.

Laboratory: Quantitative calculation of the parameters of the hydrological balance of a drainage basin in Northern Peloponnese using 20 years of real climate data.

Teaching & Assessment

13 weeks, 1 hour/week of lectures, and 2 hours/week of laboratory exercises. This applies to the first 6 weeks, during which the content of Hydrology is taught. The teaching of the hydrology laboratory includes five exercises, and attendance is mandatory (absences are recorded). The completed exercises are submitted after their completion, usually each week.

In the remaining weeks, there is a 3-hour lecture (theory) on water resources management. For water resources management, an assignment (individual or group) is carried out on topics related to water resources in Greece or Europe. The assignment is submitted at the end of the semester.

Η αξιολόγηση προκύπτει από τη γραπτή εξέταση μιας προόδου (ενδιάμεσης εξέτασης) μετά το πέρας της ύλης της Υδρολογίας (30%), από την αξιολόγηση των ασκήσεων που παραδίδονται στο πλαίσιο του εργαστηρίου της Υδρολογίας (20%) και από την αξιολόγηση της γραπτής εργασίας της διαχείρισης των υδατικών πόρων που παραδίδεται στο τέλος του εξαμήνου (50%).

The evaluation is based on a midterm written exam (30%) after completing the Hydrology content, the assessment of exercises submitted as part of the Hydrology laboratory (20%), and the evaluation of the written assignment on water resources management submitted at the end of the semester (50%).