Groundwater Management

Sustainable groundwater development efficiently manages existing groundwater resources and addresses the risks associated with aquifer physical qualities, storage capacity, and recovery ability for future generating requirements. Response to future scenario development is essential for sustainable groundwater management in arid lands. This article discusses various development scenarios associated with better management of groundwater. This is to formulate effective and sustainable management strategies and their impact on sustainable groundwater management. The paper also seeks to provide a brief overview of common ideas of sustainability and their application to groundwater resource usage and development. Eventually, sustainable development can be accompanied by policies that stimulate groundwater use and prioritize profit over conservation require being considered. Policies include the establishment and formation of a social identity for collective aquifer storage and recovery, the creation of a legal framework for sustainable groundwater governance, the establishment of social adoption of groundwater pumping technology, and the formation of groundwater cultures at the point of abstraction.

wells, etc. The percentage of area influenced by canal irrigation to the total irrigated area in India has fallen from about 39.77 to 29% over the last few decades. Apart from the arrival of bore well in irrigation sector, seepage losses from irrigation canals also hampered the efficiency of canal and irrigation system significantly, in terms of water logging, salinization, natural groundwater balance, etc. Apart from unlined canals, significant seepage losses were noticed and reported in lined canals, probably because canal lining deteriorates with time (Singh 2013). The canal seepage is assessed either by direct measurements (Inflow-Outflow method, seepage meter method, resistivity method and filtration meter method) or by indirect measurements (tracer techniques, physical and analog modeling technique, electrical analog, mathematical modeling and remote sensing technique) (Kaufmann 2009; Hoffmann and Sander 2007; Watt and Khan 2007; Flury and Wai 2003; Aeby et al. 2001, Moser 1995). Several physical and onsite constraints like stopping of normal canal activity (Ponding tests, inflow-outflow method), presence of excessive canal flow (non-suitable for seepage meter method) and absence of steady flow (non-suitable for Water balance method) pose hindrance in the application of direct method. Sometimes excessive time requirement for testing [analytical methods, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP)] or application of more than one technique (geophysical techniques) prevents in selection of different techniques (Alam and Butha 2004; Kinzli et al. 2010). Tracer techniques are economic and one of the fastest, method in terms of detection of seepage prone zones, identification of seepage path without interrupting canal's day-today normal activity. Here in this paper, the authors highlight the utility of Tracer techniques and also reported the two different aspects, which are qualitatively in identifying maximum Abstract Canal irrigation is well developed in several provinces of India since independence. With the increase in demand and irregular rainfall, several areas are covered using canal network to suffice agricultural and drinking water needs. Besides its utility and functioning, several problems are associated with canal irrigation, such as seepage losses and water logging. Apart from geophysical and geological methods, tracer is a tool which can be used to study canal seepage. It facilitates in identifying maximum seepage zones and expected seepage path qualitatively and quantitatively without interrupting normal activity of the canal. In this paper, identification of canal seepage in detail with two case studies namely Indira Gandhi Main Canal (IGMC), Rajasthan, and canals in Kakrapar network, Gujarat, from Indian subcontinent is reported. Tracer studies revealed the vulnerable zone, i.e., fractures or cracks in the canal lining with excessive seepage in both the cases. Tracer technique is a definite, reliable and cost effective tool, which provides unique insight into canal seepage investigation.

When groundwater quality is good, it may be a substantial water supply for
various applications. However, no systematic research on
hydrogeochemistry and water quality features for drinking and irrigation has
been undertaken in the present study area. As a result, the current study
looked at hydrogeochemical variables and groundwater quality for drinking
and irrigation in Tercha district, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Fortyseven groundwater samples were collected and tested to satisfy the required
target for various physicochemical properties. The hydrogeochemical
features of the groundwater in the study region were assessed using in-situ
testing and laboratory analysis of physicochemical parameters. Groundwater
samples from the research region were slightly acidic to slightly basic, with
the principal cations and anions decreasing in sequence: Na+
> Ca2+ > Mg2+
> K+
and HCO3
-> Cl-> SO4
2-. The hadrochemical facies of the studied region
evolved from mildly mineralized dominant highland Ca-HCO3 water types
to moderately mineralized mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 water types to highly
mineralized deep rift floor Na-HCO3 water types. Additionally, the World
Health Organization and the Ethiopian Standard Agency were utilized to
compare the drinking water quality. Except for NO3
-
(4.25 %), Fe (8.51 %),
and F- (2.12%), all groundwater samples from the research region were
determined to be within permitted limits and appropriate for drinking.
According to the Water Quality Index, about 80.86% of groundwater
samples are excellent, and 19.14% are good drinking water. Sodium
absorption ratio (SAR), sodium (Na) percentage, residual sodium carbonate
RSC, permeability index (PI), and magnesium hazard were among the
irrigation water quality indicators calculated (MH). The great majority of
groundwater samples are suitable for agricultural use.

The decline of the groundwater in the Ogallala Aquifer may create an uncertainty for water availability in the associated states in the future. Effective policy reforms are essential to determine efficient present and future use of water resources. Therefore, this study explores the option value for reducing current groundwater use to ensure the water availability in the Ogallala aquifer for future use. A doublebounded referendum format contingent valuation survey was carried out to investigate households’ preferences and the mean willingness to pay (WTP) of households for conserving the groundwater is empirically examined using a censored regression model. The estimated mean WTP to conserve one million acre feet of water for future use is $17.66 and the total willingness to pay is $28.96 million. The results indicate education and prior knowledge about the aquifer are significant determinants that are positively related to WTP whereas age is a significant factor that is negatively ...

As global and local populations surge and climate change continue to disrupt surface and groundwater reservoirs, the urgent need arises to explore additional groundwater sources. Ensuring sustainable management necessitates the efficient identification of high-potential zones to meet escalating water demands. This study aims to delineate groundwater potential zones in Faisalabad District, Pakistan, utilizing a cost-effective geoelectrical resistivity survey method. Apparent resistivity data was collected using the Schlumberger electrode configuration and analyzed with the Interpex "IX1D v2 model" to determine true soil layer resistivities and thicknesses with average root mean square error of 5.12%. The results have revealed that the Aquifer thickness ranged from 13.35 to 165.59 m, and resistivity from 23.96 to 1125.0 Ωm. Hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and porosity of aquifers varied from 0.49 to 24.11 m/day (average 8.214 m/day), 35.67 to 1593.98 m 2 /day (average 567.771 m 2 /day), and 22.29 to 39.82% (average 37.465%), respectively. Integration of resistivity and geo-hydraulic properties data identified vertical electrical sounding (VES) points 1, 3, 4, and 6 as highly suitable for large-scale freshwater extraction due to having high groundwater potential repositories (coarse sand and gravel formations). Other points had varying suitability: VES points 7 and 8 for shallow wells only, VES points 5, 9, and 10 not recommended due to hard formations, and VES point 2 due to poor groundwater quality. This integrated approach has proven effective in assessing groundwater strata to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-3), making it applicable to other geographic locations and informing policy decisions for effective groundwater management.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengintegrasikan metode flownet dan hidrogeokimia sebagai upaya untuk mengidentifikasi tingkat keasinan airtanah. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode interpolasi linear untuk mendapatkan flownet serta metode Stuyfzand dan Diagram Piper Segiempat untuk mendapatkan karakteristik hidrogeokimia airtanah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa di beberapa lokasi pada wilayah pantai dan pesisir Kecamatan Sanden terjadi penurunan muka airtanah. Airtanah di daerah kajian terbagi atas tipe air semi-bikarbonat (F2-NaHCO3+; g2-NaHCO3+; dan g3-NaHCO3+), tipe bikarbonat (F2-Ca(HCO3)2+; dan F3-Ca(HCO3)2+), dan tipe klorida (f1-CaCl2-). Hal ini dipengaruhi oleh beberapa faktor, yaitu: (1) proses pelarutan mineral dari material marin dan alluvium sungai oleh air hujan membentuk airtanah semi-bikarbonat; (2) proses evaporasi di laguna dan zona laut dangkal pada kala pleistosen yang meninggalkan kristal garam dan terlarut menjadi airtanah evaporasi; (3) proses de...

Knowledge of groundwater recharge is a prerequisite for sustainable management of water resources. However,
in Ethiopia, recharge estimation methodology remains haphazard regarding selection and application of various
methods. Therefore, the objective of this study is to review commonly applied groundwater recharge estimation
methods in Ethiopia, identify and analyze the main challenges and limitations that affect the reliability of
recharge estimates, and suggest insights for future research. For this purpose, a systematic literature review is
conducted focusing on Ethiopia and similar regions. About 87.8% of the reviewed studies have applied only one
recharge estimation method. The selection of recharge estimation methods is mainly dependent on the availability
of data regardless of their appropriateness to the actual field conditions and the inherent limitations of the
methods. Comparatively, the WetSpass, SWAT, water table fluctuation (WTF), and chloride mass balance (CMB)
techniques are frequently applied methods in a decreasing order of 20, 18, 13, and 12% respectively. Insufficientareal coverage of rainfall data, inaccurate estimates of evapotranspiration, low performance to simulate peak stream flow data, inadequacy of soil and rainfall chloride data, and misappropriation of recharge estimation methods to the actual field conditions are the main challenges for the rise of uncertainty of these methods. In general, recharge studies that have applied various recharge estimation techniques in Ethiopia have one limitation in common – i.e., failure to provide sufficient verification of results. Hence, this study shows that recharge estimations in Ethiopia are less reliable so that recharge values cannot be trusted to make robust water resources development plans. Therefore, selection of recharge estimation methods should rely on prior identification of recharge mechanisms and appropriation of the method to actual field conditions. The verification process should be accompanied by adequate field data measurements.

This paper analyses groundwater resources use and management in the socioeconomic context of the Amu Darya River Basin which covers part of the following landlocked Central Asian countries: Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These agrarian nations for sustaining their vital agricultural productions started to use groundwater during the recent drought years (1998-2001) because of its relatively good quality and quantity and as an alternative to highly mineralized surface waters. Present extent of groundwater resources use is discussed with consideration to their reserves, quality, and institutional management and transboundary aspects within the basin. After the collapse of the centralized water resources management system and infrastructure of the former Soviet Union, new underdeveloped systems are being practiced over the whole Amu Darya River Basin. The critical situation of groundwater management in Afghanistan is also discussed. The document attempts to document the management and use of groundwater in the Amu Darya Basin and present time management realities, with fragmented and weak national and regional regulation on groundwater. Special attention is given to groundwater resources in irrigated agriculture, which increased use in all countries of the basin is due to quick access to underground resources and relatively good quality and quantity.

As a result of the massive irrigation development during the Soviet Union era and intensive chemization of agriculture, the surface runoff quality has been degraded in this arid and endorheic region. Moreover hydraulically related groundwater has been affected too. Excessive irrigation has lead to land salinization which now threatens the soil quality of significant areas where crop yields would be at risk in the future. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, institutional changes have been undertaken for the management of the natural resources and the water infrastructure. At present, underdeveloped and inadequate systems have been practiced with respect to groundwater use and management. The aim of this paper is to analyze the present extent of groundwater resources with consideration to their reserves, quality evolution, and to technical, institutional and transboundary management aspects in Uzbekistan.

Unsustainable depletion of groundwater from Madhupur tract aquifer (underneath Dhaka and Gazipur city) is an extensive social problem in the North central (N-C) part of Bangladesh. Specifically, Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh, suffers from over-extraction in an unsustainable manner. In addition to this phenomenon, natural disasters such as drought are amplified by climate change is a widespread natural hazard in Bangladesh. This study presents the characterization of
drought using selected drought indicators developed using ground and global model data in Dhaka district in the North central part of Bangladesh and explores the mutual connection between drought years and the maximum groundwater level depletion years. Meteorological (precipitation, temperature) and groundwater data were collected from the relevant institutions in order to develop and analyze the drought indicators, climatic trends, and the rate of decline of groundwater levels. Where ground based data was lacking, global model datasets were downloaded from the EartH2Observe WCI portal to compute drought indicator based on appropriate global data. Analysis of drought occurrence shows that moderate to extreme drought occurred sixteen times in the last
thirty-three years in the study area, showing that the frequency of severe drought is high. National historical drought impact records show that drought occurred twelve times, although these are not any specified records for Dhaka, as the focus of the impact data is agricultural impact. The effect of unsustainable overexploitation has been observed for the last two decades because of the extra abstraction of groundwater for the domestic water demand in the Dhaka districts. This was accelerated not only by the demographic explosion but also due the occurrence of droughts. This study also opens a new horizon of thinking that it is not necessary to use the drought monitoring system only for the agricultural sector. Monitoring of drought is necessary for all the sectors where problems of sustainability may exist. Dhaka has no drought monitoring that looks at the scale of impacts. Drought however does occur in the city, and indirectly works on a system and creates a negative feedback loop
which leads to unsustainability.

It is often taken for granted that metering is an unarguable ‘best practice’ when it comes to the quantitative management of
groundwater resources. This paper revisits empirical evidence of the performance of meters on the ground, distinguishing
between the logistical, financial, political and institutional factors that condition acceptability, implementation and monitoring.
It is shown thatmetering should only be implemented when certain conditions are met. The options for technical and institutional
improvements are reviewed. Then the paper turns to co-management arrangements between the state/administration and water
user associations. It is argued that metering can play a key part in these arrangements rather than be, by default, an undesired
nuisance. Hence, the distribution of the costs of meter installation, maintenance and monitoring should be construed as part of the
balancing of costs and benefits, carrots and sticks, threats and opportunities, and of the roles of the states and water user
associations. All must be designed to elicit collective action towards, and adherence to, sustainability targets.

Like many of the world’s large-scale terminal lakes, the Urmia saltwater lake in northwestern Iran is undergoing a process of desiccation. The anticipated economic, social, environmental and health consequences of this are daunting. We set out to examine the policies that have been designed in response to the lake crisis in the past twenty years. We focus on the set of measures proposed by the Urmia Lake Restoration Program (ULRP) and explain why their impact on water savings are overstated while the potentially most effective measures are abandoned. We then discuss the various social, institutional and political factors that have led to this state of affairs. Identifying and understanding the array of political and other factors that combine not only to impede appropriate remedial measures but also to fuel the overexploitation of water are essential to our comprehension of how to avert unsustainable water futures.

The study area, Tegona River catchment, is strongly dependent on groundwater like other rural catchments in the country. The main objective of this work is to quantify the amount of groundwater recharge in Tegona River catchment. Recharge was estimated using physically based distributed recharge model called Wets pass, chloride mass balance and Base flow separation methods. As input to the model precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, temperature and wind speed were estimated using data collected from meteorological stations located within the catchment and nearby areas. The physical environmental data including land use, soil type, and groundwater depth were collected from field and existing maps. Slope and topography map were generated from Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data. Using the model the mean annual recharge of the catchment was found to be 18.29 % of the precipitation whereas the direct runoff was found to be 57.6 % of the precipitation. Using the chloride mass balance method the mean annual recharge of the catchment was found to be 16.85 % of the precipitation. And also using the Base flow separation method the mean annual recharge of the catchment was found to be 48.23 % of the precipitation of five years (316.4 mm, Table 5.2 and fig 5.11). This study revealed that the groundwater recharge estimation using Wets pass model is reasonable and useful for quantification of annual groundwater recharge with spatial and seasonal variation and also capable in the identification of groundwater recharge zones in the area under study.
Keywords: Runoff, Evapotranspiration, Groundwater Recharge, Wets pass, Tegona River catchment, Ethiopia.

There has been a growing concern all over the world on climate change leading to global warming, frequent floods, and rise of sea levels leading to submergence of coastal lands under sea. Our work revealed how frequent floods of high severity in the city of Chennai in India could be averted on a sustainable basis.

In central Texas, an increasing urban and environmental demand for water, coupled with limited supplies in the Edwards Aquifer, collided with the legal right of landowners to pump an unlimited amount of groundwater. There clearly was not enough water in the Aquifer to meet current and future needs. In response to this water crisis, the Texas legislature created the Edwards Aquifer Authority and gave it extensive regulatory power to control pumping and to reallocate water through market mechanisms. Water marketing offers a means to minimize conflicts over the reallocation of water from lower economic valued agricultural uses to higher valued domestic, industrial, environmental and recreational uses. This article outlines a conceptual framework for a market-based water reallocation system and then applies this framework to the Edwards Aquifer region. The article suggests that there is a strong willingness on the part of stakeholders in the Edwards region to use markets to reallocate water and proposes an approach to encourage market development.

Bangladesh is a country of floodplains and is located on the delta of one of the world’s major rivers, The Ganges River. Due to the high level of advocacy for good quality water, the private agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were encouraged to install more shallow tube-wells in rural Bangladesh. The lack of proper planning of tube-well installation resulted in excessive withdrawal of groundwater for the last 40 years. Withdrawals of groundwater started in the year 1965’s for irrigation, initially through deep tubewells. Today the number of operating tubewells according to the 1997/98 National Minor Irrigation Census is around 25,354. Arsenic contamination in Bangladesh has slowly approached a disaster during the last decade due to the overexploitation of groundwater and inefficient water resources management. Seventy-nine percent of rural people in Bangladesh drink groundwater extracted by shallow tube-wells. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) was issued by Bangladesh in 2000 to have the proportion of people in the country that do not have access to safe drinking water by 2015 (UN 2000). Every year there is a large gap between demand and supply during the dry season therefore the water supply becomes critical in the dry season. Considering current crisis of groundwater, country needs proper water resource management. Adequate water resource management scheme is essential to get the maximum benefits from the existing water resources without causing other problems. Yet Bangladesh has not achieved a satisfactory level of skill in water resources management, and water resources management became recognized as essential to ensure the supply of safe drinking water throughout the country.

Water is the essential resource to maintain all existing communities on the earth and its scarcity will have various direct and indirect impacts on each and every life forms of ecosystem [1]. But it is very unfortunate that this life saving natural resource is not uniformly distributed in all over the planet by season or else by location [2]. And the boom comes in the present era on worldwide due to dam projects and its developmental activities will complex it manifolds because the dam projects have many positive and negative impacts on human life and its related environment [3]. The positive impacts of the dam projects include that they mitigate the demand of drinking water at appropriate time and durability; it regulates environmental flow regimes, and have a major role in the growth and development of human civilization and overall development of the world’s metropolitan cities, its industrialization as well as in agriculture practices [4]. The need and demand of water is ever in...

Both surface and underground water sources represent national treasures that need to be managed according to the sustainable use principle in order to maintain their quality properties. If the surface water pollution is obvious from sources chemical residues, the even some pollutants such as atmospheric emissions, waste waters, underground waters are not free from pollution, diffuse to depths of tens or hundreds meters. Unfortunately the countryside as well as the urban area, is affected by pollution as there are areas where the wells water is the only water source available for the population.

Groundwater is an imperative source of human life for communities living in semi-arid regions as it represents the main source of sustenance over surface water. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with a geospatial technology approach was used in this study to discern key factors influencing groundwater potential. The research conducted in Man tehsil of Satara district; Maharashtra is based on eight carefully selected parameters used to delineate groundwater potential zones. The resulting four groundwater potential zones show wide variation in the groundwater potential of the tehsil. The accuracy of the classified map was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under curve (AUC) values derived from 192 field points of the wells collected during the fieldwork. The results of this research are expected to provide valuable insights into district-level policymaking while formulating watershed management and effective groundwater recharge strategies.

A methodology is developed for proposing a groundwater vulnerability assessment in a Pressure-State-Impact causal chain that is familiar to decision makers. The 'Driver Pressure State Impact Response' (DPSIR) framework, for describing interactions between society and the environment, defines a chain of Drivers that exert Pressures on the State of a given resource, such as groundwater, which then generates an Impact that will require an appropriate Response (Kristensen, 2004).

Identifying the effective and determining factors of water scarcity in each region is a necessary condition for proper management of water supply and demand and laying the groundwork for adaptation to water scarcity. Although Kermanshah province is not in a crisis situation according to the usual indicators for determining the water crisis, the continuation of the current situation will lead to a crisis and requires a review of the province's water resources management approaches. This research seeks to identify and prioritize the determinants of water scarcity in Kermanshah province in the theoretical framework of institutionalism and with the hierarchical analysis process. For this purpose, with the Delphi method and hierarchical analysis tool, and EXPERT CHOICE software, these factors were identified and prioritized. The results show that contrary to conventional approaches to water resources management, which emphasizes water supply management, the role of demand-side factors in the problem of water shortage in Kermanshah province is much more decisive so that 72.5% of the water shortage problem is explained by these factors.  Demand-side factors, respectively, priority and share in water scarcity are: low water productivity in the agricultural sector (0.42), uncontrolled extraction of underground resources (0.21), agricultural production structure (0.13), virtual water exports (0.10), water loss in the route (0.06), water consumption culture (0.05), lack of meter (0.03). On the supply-side, the amount of precipitation (0.38), water budget (0.18), evaporation (0.18), time mismatch between precipitation and consumption (0.13), type of precipitation (0.05), precipitation fluctuation (0.05), and insufficient utilization of gray water (0.03) have the most important role in creating stress, respectively.

The applicability of two vulnerability assessment methods in evaluating the impact of agricultural activities on groundwater quality, is tested in two areas in the south of Portugal with modest results. Intensive citriand horticulture require large amounts of fertiliser and water supplied by irrigation, which induces groundwater salinisation and contamination by nitrates. The degree of

the main issue in water management is how to meet the needs of a growing population without sacrificing the sustainability of freshwater resources, which are both limited and vulnerable. The development of new technologies for groundwater exploitation consequent to increased demand has led to the overdraft of groundwater resources and thus, many environmental problems. Similarly, Rafsanjan Plain has faced extensive groundwater extraction, most of which is used for pistachio as the only crop produced in the area. Therefore, the agricultural sector has a crucial role in a water crisis. The purpose this study was to investigate the role of agriculture in Rafsanjan’s groundwater governance. Necessary information for this purpose was collected through interview and observation techniques as well as studying statistics and relevant documents. The method used in this research was a focus group to answer questions. A total of a number of 15 agricultural experts from public and private secto...

Water is an integral part of man's environment and the extent to which it is abundant or scarce, clean or polluted, beneficial or destructive determines to a very large degree, the extent and quality of life. Although man has been able to modify, to a certain extent, the pattern of availability of fresh water supplies with respect to space and time, the total supply of water neither grows nor diminishes and is believed to be the same now as it was three billion years ago. Thus unlike other natural resources, water is not depleted through consumption, but the per capita availability reduces due to population growth, utilization for various purposes and water pollution. Between 1960 and 1997, per capita availability of freshwater worldwide declined by about 60% and another 50% decrease in per capita availability is projected by the year 2025 (Hinrichsen, 1998). Almost 85 per cent of all the water taken from rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers in India and most of the developing world is used for agriculture (Mohile and Goel, 1996). Water for agriculture (mainly irrigation) extended the agricultural frontier into arid regions, intensified production in low rainfall areas and increased dry season cropping in countries with monsoonal climate. Irrigated land, about 20 per cent of the crop land worldwide, provides 45 per cent of the world's food. Average yield per irrigated hectare is 2.2 times the yield of rain fed agriculture. In the next 25 years, the world will be challenged to produce sufficient food to feed an additional 90 million people each year, as well as to meet increasing and changing food needs resulting from rising incomes (Roelof, 1998). In the past the global irrigated area and annual water use have kept pace. However, the relentless increase in the demand of water for various purposes brought about the population growth, while economic development combined with increasing pollution of water supplies have raised serious problems for the environment. Because of the uneven distribution of population densities worldwide, water demands already exceed supplies in nearly 80 countries with more than 40% of the world's population (Bennett, 2000). IWMI water scarcity studies (Seckler et. al, 1998) reveal that, by 2025: * Invited paper for presentation during 91 st session of the Indian Science Congress,

The Likangala Irrigation Scheme in Malawi was constructed in 1969 along the coast of Lake Chilwa in Malawi, a saline inland basin lake. Water for irrigation comes from a heavily polluted river which also passes through urban and peri-urban areas of Zomba District. Overpopulation and water scarcity due to climate change have pushed people to have permanent residence within and around the scheme. Groundwater, through boreholes and shallow wells, is the only source of drinking water. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemistry of groundwater and evaluate its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Lake Chilwa Basin. WSeven Boreholes and six shallow wells were sampled from the study area. The levels of the abundance of the major ions were found to be in the order Na > Ca > Mg > K and Cl > HCO3 > CO3 > SO4 >NO3 > F. The study results suggest that the groundwater for the study area is predominantly of sodium-bicarbonate type, due to both silicate weathering, cation exchange and agriculture influence. The Water Quality Index (WQI) showed that 61.5% of the groundwater samples were unsuitable for drinking. Based on irrigation quality index model, there was no sample belonging to a rejection category from irrigation. The study further revealed that 23% of the samples require caution to be used for irrigation. However, there is need for a further studies to examine the soil chemistry of the scheme to identify other crops suitable for the area, besides rice.

A physically based model was developed to simulate changes in plant water use and soil water distribution over time. It was built from two main submodels which dealt with soil water flow and plant water uptake. The soil water flow submodel employed the Richards equation combined with vapour flow procedures to predict soil water distribution, deep drainage, and soil evaporation. The plant water uptake submodel used a potential driven approach in that it depended on the water potential gradient between the roots and soil matrix. The model was used to analyse the effects of rooting patterns on deep drainage, which is one of the main differences in plant properties between trees and annual crops or grasses. Root distribution affects plant water uptake, soil water distribution, and deep drainage. The deep drainage rate under Armidale (NSW, Australia) weather conditions is episodic in character and root distribution influences deep drainage during wet periods. From discussion of the optimal root distribution for an agroforestry system it was concluded that to prevent too much deep drainage, it may not be necessary to have only deep-rooted species present. Simulation can indicate the appropriate ratio of deeprooted trees to shallow-rooted crops or grasses in an agroforestry system where the aim is to minimise deep drainage while maximising the percentage of productive shallowrooted crops or grasses.

A physically based model was developed to simulate changes in plant water use and soil water distribution over time. It was built from two main submodels which dealt with soil water flow and plant water uptake. The soil water flow submodel employed the Richards equation combined with vapour flow procedures to predict soil water distribution, deep drainage, and soil evaporation. The plant water uptake submodel used a potential driven approach in that it depended on the water potential gradient between the roots and soil matrix. The model was used to analyse the effects of rooting patterns on deep drainage, which is one of the main differences in plant properties between trees and annual crops or grasses. Root distribution affects plant water uptake, soil water distribution, and deep drainage. The deep drainage rate under Armidale (NSW, Australia) weather conditions is episodic in character and root distribution influences deep drainage during wet periods. From discussion of the optim...

The quality of drinking water in some selected areas of Bogoro and its Environs in Bauchi State, Nigeria, were investigated in order to assure a continuous supply of clean and safe drinking water for public health protection and analyze the spatiotemporal variation of groundwater quality in the area. A rigorous physical and chemical study of drinking water samples was conducted in some residential and commercial areas. For each water sample collected during dry and wet seasons, a variety of physical characteristics such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and chemical parameters such as Ca, Na, K, SO24, PO24, F, Cl, Cu, Mg, Fe, and Mn were analyzed. The resulting values for each parameter were compared to the World Health Organization's (WHO) and European Union (EU) standards.  The values of each parameter were found to be within the permissible limits with the exception of Turbidity with an average value of 7.55mg/L, Fluoride (0.52mg/L), Iron 0.69mg/L ...

Groundwater management requires accurate methods for simulating and predicting groundwater processes. Data-based methods can be applied to serve this purpose. Support vector regression (SVR) is a novel and powerful data-based method for predicting time series. This study proposes the genetic algorithm (GA)–SVR hybrid algorithm that combines the GA for parameter calibration and the SVR method for the simulation and prediction of groundwater levels. The GA–SVR algorithm is applied to three observation wells in the Karaj plain aquifer, a strategic water source for municipal water supply in Iran. The GA–SVR's groundwater-level predictions were compared to those from genetic programming (GP). Results show that the randomized approach of GA–SVR prediction yields R2 values ranging between 0.88 and 0.995, and root mean square error (RMSE) values ranging between 0.13 and 0.258 m, which indicates better groundwater-level predictive skill of GA-SVR compared to GP, whose R2 and RMSE values ...

Groundwater is one of the most valuable natural resources, which supports human health, economic development and ecological diversity. Overexploitation and unabated pollution of this vital resource is threatening our ecosystems and even the life of future generations. With the advent of powerful personal computers and the advances in space technology, efficient techniques for land and water management have evolved of which RS (remote sensing) and GIS (geographic information system) are of great significance. These techniques have fundamentally changed our thoughts and ways to manage natural resources in general and water resources in particular. The main intent of the present paper is to highlight RS and GIS technologies and to present a comprehensive review on their applications to groundwater hydrology. A detailed survey of literature revealed six major areas of RS and GIS applications in groundwater hydrology: (i) exploration and assessment of groundwater resources, (ii) selection of artificial recharge sites, (iii) GIS-based subsurface flow and pollution modeling, (iv) groundwater-pollution hazard assessment and protection planning, (v) estimation of natural recharge distribution, and (vi) hydrogeologic data analysis and process monitoring. Although the use of these techniques in groundwater studies has rapidly increased since early nineties, the success rate is very limited and most applications are still in their infancy. Based on this review, salient areas in need of further research and development are discussed, together with the constraints for RS and GIS applications in developing nations. More and more RSand GIS-based groundwater studies are recommended to be carried out in conjunction with field investigations to effectively exploit the expanding potential of RS and GIS technologies, which will perfect and standardize current applications as well as evolve new approaches and applications. It is concluded that both the RS and GIS technologies have great potential to

Irrigation in an agrarian economy assumes the same importance as blood in human body. Agriculture by irrigation antedates recorded history and is probably one of the oldest occupations of the civilized man. In this study attempt has been made to find out the number of irrigation facilities and problems of irrigation water sustainability in Varanasi district. Second is to find out the present condition of irrigation facilities and to suggest certain remedial measures for it. Varanasi district, extending between the latitudes of 25 ̊10' N to 25 ̊37' N and longitudes of 82 ̊39' E to 83 ̊10' E, lies in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh and is a part of Indo-Gangetic alluvial plains. The total geographical area of the district is 1526.78 sq. km. as far as drainage is concerned the study area is drained by perennial rivers Ganga, Gomati and Varuna with some seasonal nalas like Nand nala. The general flow direction of these rivers is from west to east. The district has sub-...

The  paper  discusses  the  possibility  of  using  groundwater  as  a  source  of  water  supply  for  Mykolaiv  during  emergencies or military operations. A hydrogeological model of the Mykolaiv groundwater field was developed to  investigate  the  water  exchange  pattern  and  sources  of  operational  groundwater  reserves  in  the  Upper  Sarmatian aquifer, which is a primary source of drinking groundwater in the Mykolaiv area. The influence of various factors on water-bearing capacity of the Upper Sarmatian sediments was assessed, including the vulnerability of the fresh groundwater to the intrusion of brackish water from the Bug Estuary. The study also examined the feasibility of operating the aquifer under forced conditions, depending on the duration of emergency periods or military operations.

Access to the groundwater economy has frequently enabled an economic boom but is also believed to increase inequalities between farmers. The present study analyses social changes in a rural community as it entered and evolved in a groundwater economy, and today increasingly has to cope with groundwater depletion. The case study was conducted in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco, where marked social, economic and political differences habitually separated ethnic fractions. Farmers created several collectives to access groundwater resources and support the marketing of newly irrigated crops. Thanks to this new groundwater economy, the social and economic positions of previously marginalised fractions caught up with those of the historically favoured fractions. The basis on which farmers' collectives were organised had evolved and crossed lines between ethnic fractions. The social configurations at local level, which are often considered to influence agrarian change and actors' relations concerning water resources, actually evolve with them. These configurations have a major influence on the dynamics of farmers' collectives. Therefore, paying attention to evolving social configurations at local level is important if the aim is to involve farmers' collectives in the search for governance models to achieve sustainable groundwater use.

Integrator as a sophisticated tool for groundwater management answers the needs of the Polish Hydrogeological Survey. At the first stage it is a functional integration system for all hydrogeological databases existing in the Polish Geological Institute such as those of Groundwater Monitoring, HYDRO Bank and Hydrogeological Map of Poland. The final stage of all kind of analysis involves cartographical representation of the results. Using the PSH Database Integrator in this process reduces labour input and time as well as helps keeping standards. Next stage in the system development will enable internet access for users.

Sustainable use of groundwater is becoming critical in India and requires effective participation from local communities along with technical, social, economic, policy and political inputs. Access to groundwater for farming communities is also an emotional and complex issue as their livelihood and survival depends on it. In this article, we report on transdisciplinary approaches to understanding the issues, challenges and options for improving sustainability of groundwater use in States of Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. In this project, called Managed Aquifer Recharge through Village level Intervention (MARVI), the research is focused on developing a suitable participatory approach and methodology with associated tools that will assist in improving supply and demand management of groundwater. The study was conducted in the Meghraj watershed in Aravalli district, Gujarat, and the Dharta watershed in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India. The study involved the collection of hydrologic, agronomic and socioeconomic data and engagement of local village and school communities through their role in groundwater monitoring, field trials, photovoice activities and education campaigns. The study revealed that availability of relevant and reliable data related to the various aspects of groundwater and developing trust and support between local communities, NGOs and government agencies are the key to moving towards a dialogue to decide on what to do to achieve sustainable use of groundwater. The analysis of long-term water table data indicated considerable fluctuation in groundwater levels from year to year or a net lowering of the water table, but the levels tend to recover during wet years. This provides hope that by improving management of recharge structures and groundwater pumping, we can assist in stabilizing the local water table. Our interventions through Bhujal Jankaars (BJs), (a Hindi word meaning "groundwater informed" volunteers), schools, photovoice workshops and newsletters have resulted in dialogue within the communities about the seriousness of the groundwater issue and ways to explore options for situation improvement. The BJs are now trained to understand how local recharge and discharge patterns are influenced by local rainfall patterns and pumping patterns and they are now becoming local champions of groundwater and an important link between farmers and project team. This study has further strengthened the belief that traditional research approaches to improve the groundwater situation are unlikely to be suitable for complex groundwater issues in the study areas. The experience from the study indicates that a transdisciplinary approach is likely to be more effective in enabling farmers, other village community members and NGOs to work together with researchers and government agencies to understand the groundwater situation and design interventions that are holistic and have wider ownership. Also, such an approach is expected to deliver longer-term sustainability of groundwater at a regional level.

Soil salinization is a critical global issue for sustainable agriculture, impacting crop yields and posing a threat to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ensuring food security. It is necessary to monitor it in detail and uncover its underlying factors at a regional scale. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate soil health in the eastern Mediterranean region by using the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) as an indicator of soil salinity in three distinct soil horizons. The main objective of the research was to evaluate the performance of four machine learning (ML) models, including Random Forest (RF), Nu Support Vector Regression (NuSVR), Artificial Neural Network-Multi Layer Perceptron (ANN-MLP), and Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR), for accurate prediction of SAR following the Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) as a feature selection method. Moreover, SHapely Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was applied as sensitivity analysis to identify the most influential covariates. Main findings of the research revealed that the average clay content in the surface horizon (H 10-25cm) was 50.5% ± 10.4, which significantly increased to 57.5% ± 8.7 (p < 0.05). No significant mean differences were detected between the studied horizons for SAR and Na +. ML output revealed that NuSVR outperformed other algorithms in accurately predicting outcomes during both the training and testing stages. Moreover, Scenario 2 (SC2) with seven selected features from the RFE method facilitated highly accurate SAR predictions. Overall, the performance of ML models is ranked as NuSVR > GBR > ANN-MLP > RF. Lastly, SHAP sensitivity analysis identified CEC, Ca +2 , Mg +2 , and Na + as the most influential variables for SAR prediction in both the training and testing stages. Hence, the research yielded valuable insights for efficient agricultural soil management at a regional level using state-of-the-art technology.

This study aimed at assessing groundwater potential in Misau and Dambam areas of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) survey was also conducted to carry out the study. Five thematic maps were generated for weighted overlay. Descriptive statistics were used to analysed data on water supply situation, aquifer parameters were analysed using a standard table where porosity and permeability were calculated. The VES data was analysed using ipi2win, thematic maps were produced through overlay analysis using the extension of ArcGIS 10.4. VES result reveals the existence of about three to four geologic layers in the study area which constitute the topsoil, weathered rock, weathered/fractured rock, fractured basement, and fresh basement rock. Nine out of the thirteen soundings conducted were found to be of sound in nature while the only non-promising aquifers were found in Jalam Kukadi, Hardawa PHC, Bada Koshi, Dambam A Bam. Five groundwater potential zones were determined which are very low 354 km 2 (15%), low 393 km 2 (15%), moderate 416 km 2 (20%), high 436 km 2 (25%), and very high 497 km 2 (25%). Drainage is the most critical factor affecting groundwater occurrence with 25% which is the highest followed by geology with 22%. It can be concluded that 50% of the study area was characterized under high, and very high groundwater potential. It is recommended that areas with poor groundwater potentials government and non-governmental organizations should provide an alternative source of water to aid them during periods of difficulties.

International audienceThe links between climate variability, depicted by time series of oceanic indices, and changes in total water and groundwater storage are investigated across nine large aquifer basins of the African continent. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission’s observations represent a remarkable tool that can provide insight into the dynamics of terrestrial hydrology in areas where direct in situ observations are limited. In order to evaluate the impact of interannual and multidecadal climate variability on groundwater resources, this study assesses the relationship between synoptic controls on climate and total water storage estimates from (i) GRACE from 2002 to 2013 and (ii) a two-variable climate-driven model that is able to reconstruct past storage changes from 1982 to 2011. The estimates are then compared to time series of groundwater levels to show the extent to which total water storage covaries with groundwater storage. Results indicate that ...

This study aims to investigate the effects of indiscriminate disposal of coal fly ash on surface and groundwater hydrochemistry and heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) occurrence through a comprehensive assessment around a thermal power plant located in the central Ganga Plain, India. Both surface and groundwater in the region are slightly alkaline in nature. Groundwater samples are marked by high concentrations of HCO3‒ (~ 78%), which is likely influenced by both anthropogenic and geogenic activities. High Pb concentrations were found in 40% of groundwater samples. Ca2+ – Mg2+ – HCO3‒ and Na+ – K+ – HCO3‒ are the principal hydrochemical facies, while silicate weathering is a dominant process controlling the chemistry of groundwater. PHREEQC modeling, a method for simulating geochemical reactions in natural waters, indicates oversaturation with aragonite, dolomite, and calcite and undersaturation with fluorite, anhydrite, halite, gypsum, and sylvite. The entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), based on physicochemical concentrations, suggests samples have excellent to good water quality. However, the modified heavy metal pollution index (m-HPI) reveals that ~60% of groundwater samples fall into the ‘high pollution’ category, with 30% in the ‘medium pollution’ class. Health risk assessments (HRA) indicate both children and adults face non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, with children being more vulnerable. Irrigation water quality results demonstrate that ~ 50% of samples are unacceptable for agricultural practices, and samples in proximity to the dumping site display poor water quality. This study recommends regular monitoring of water quality near coal fly ash disposal sites, which is necessary to ensure early detection and management of any contamination.

The neutron activation of stable isotopes in environmental matrices, such as soil and groundwater, is a critical aspect of assessing the impact
of radionuclide production facilities on the surrounding ecosystem. The envisioned Low-Energy Radioactive Ion Beams (LERIB) facility at the
iThemba LABS, South Africa is anticipated to generate significant sources of ionising radiation. The study investigated the possible repercussions
of neutron irradiation stemming from the facility, focusing on the activation of stable isotopic compositions in the environment. The
investigation employed a combination of experimental and analytical techniques to characterize the neutron activation products in soil
and groundwater samples collected from the vicinity. Samples were collected from designated areas for background radiological measurements
and were irradiated with neutrons for a period of 1 h. The induced radioactivity measured by the High Purity Germanium detector
included 24Na, 22Na, 54Mn, 52Mn, and 46Sc. The application of Darcy’s law for groundwater velocity suggests that radionuclides in groundwater
will migrate at an average flow velocity of 0.8 m/day. The isotopes with longer half-lives have count rates at background concentrations;
therefore, environmental impacts on the site and surrounding communities might be minimal.