Forested Infiltration Area for groundwater denitrification

The NatMed poster on the Arborea case study was exhibited during the final conference of the SALAM-MED Project (PRIMA), ‘Rethinking the futures of Mediterranean Land and Water’ held in Athens on November 11, 2025.” https://www.salam-med.org/2025/11/05/the-agenda-and-all-information-about-the-athens-meeting-on-november-11-2025/ The Forested Infiltration Area (FIA) is a Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technique in which surface water is supplied to a network of trenches bordered by tree and/or shrub species. In these forested areas, denitrifying bacteria living in symbiosis with tree roots effectively promote nitrate attenuation and also contribute to the control of phosphorus and other organic contaminants. A FIA was constructed in 2023 for groundwater decontamination in the municipality of Arborea. Intensive hydrological, chemical, and microbiological monitoring has been carried out since June 2023 and is currently ongoing. The aim of the research is to evaluate whether FIA can be considered an effective nature-based solution for mitigating nitrate pollution in groundwater.