Factors determining the economic value of groundwater

Increasing groundwater extraction threatens aquifer sustainability for future generations. Making the best use of limited groundwater resources requires knowledge of its alternative extractive and non-extractive values, as well as the cost of extraction and the hydrological interlinkages between alternative uses. Groundwater value is driven by a number of factors including its supply and demand and institutional and policy factors. These factors and how they affect value of groundwater are described. Also described are the various components relevant to the economic valuation of groundwater and there is discussion on the potential difficulties in their practical estimation. It is argued that groundwater management is essential when there are large potential spatial and temporal externalities related to groundwater pumping. Maintaining non-extractive and option values is likely to require trade-offs with current extractive uses. Well-informed management will be required to allocate groundwater efficiently between different users such as agriculture, industry and the environment, while also balancing the needs of current and future generations.     

基于双曲距离协调度模型的地下水资源与经济承载协调关系

如何分析区域资源环境与社会经济之间的协调匹配程度,是促进区域经济可持续发展首先需要厘清的问题。基于资源环境承载协调理论,构建了基于双曲距离协调度的资源-经济系统的协调分析模型方法。根据该模型对全国依赖地下水资源且开发程度较高的514个县的地下水资源和经济数据进行了协调关系分析,评价了各县地下水资源禀赋与其承载的经济体之间的协调关系水平,结果显示2个系统之间的协调匹配程度及空间上具有较大差异性。东北和西北大部分地区处于地下水资源与经济协调的正向区间,区域经济发展仍具有一定潜力,华北及南方大部分地区处于负向协调区间,经济的发展超越了地下水资源的承载能力。     

苏锡常城市群地区地下水环境问题

苏锡常地区经济高度发达,城市化程度高,地下水开发利用程度也较高,主要开采第Ⅱ承压地下水。自６０年代以来,地下水的开发经历了四个阶段。地下水长期过量开采地下水位不断下降,地下水资源日益减少,并产生了严重的区域性地面沉降和地裂缝等地质灾害。解决地下水超采问题和地质环境问题是一个系统工程,不仅是一个科学技术问题,要求根本上解决问题,还必须同时依靠政治和社会经济力量,从某种意义讲,政治和社会经济力量比科学     

Groundwater Use: Equilibrium Between Social Benefits And Potential Environmental Costs

In many countries groundwater resources are under-appreciated and, therefore, underutilizied; whereas, in some areas they are inappropriately exploited and, therefore, over-utilized. “Over utilization” can lead to depletion in quantity or a degradation in quality or both. Obstacles to effective management include: (1) lack of knowledge of basic principles of groundwater science among water planners, (2) in many, if not in most countries, ownership of groundwater is in the private domain with the result that codependence is unrecognized, and (3) a misunderstanding by water planners of the concepts of “overexploitation%rdquo; and conjunctive use. The economic, social, and hydrologic constraints and procedures for management for sustainable development of groundwater are significantly different from those for surface water because these differences result from such things as (1) groundwater development is not dependent on large scale collective projects (unlike the utilization of surface water that requires engineering structures for diverting, regulating and transporting water), (2) the activities of many different groups can affect the quality of water, and (3) users of groundwater often are not aware of their co-dependence on the groundwater heritage in which each participates. Hydrogeologists should try to identify those governmental policies that have a detrimental environmental effect, promote those policies that are beneficial, and demonstrate the need for a policy in matters where a policy is lacking.     

Groundwater resources of Uzbekistan: an environmental and operational overview

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 also been affected. 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. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, institutional changes have been undertaken for the management of natural resources and water infrastructure. At present, underdeveloped and inadequate systems have been practiced with respect to groundwater use and management. This paper analyzes the present extent of groundwater resources with consideration to their reserves, quality evolution, and to technical, institutional and transboundary management practices in Uzbekistan.     

An integrated hydrogeological study to support sustainable development and management of groundwater resources: a case study from the Precambrian Crystalline Province,India

The rapid expansion of agriculture, industries and urbanization has triggered unplanned groundwater development leading to severe stress on groundwater resources in crystalline rocks of India. With depleting resources from shallow aquifers, end users have developed resources from deeper aquifers, which have proved to be counterproductive economically and ecologically. An integrated hydrogeological study has been undertaken in the semi-arid Madharam watershed (95 km²) in Telangana State, which is underlain by granites. The results reveal two aquifer systems: a weathered zone (maximum 30 m depth) and a fractured zone (30–85 m depth). The weathered zone is unsaturated to its maximum extent, forcing users to tap groundwater from deeper aquifers. Higher orders of transmissivity, specific yield and infiltration rates are observed in the recharge zone, while moderate orders are observed in an intermediate zone, and lower orders in the discharge zone. This is due to the large weathering-zone thickness and a higher sand content in the recharge zone than in the discharge zone, where the weathered residuum contains more clay. The NO₃ ^? concentration is high in shallow irrigation wells, and F^? is high in deeper wells. Positive correlation is observed between F^? and depth in the recharge zone and its proximity. Nearly 50 % of groundwater samples are unfit for human consumption and the majority of irrigation-well samples are classed as medium to high risk for plant growth. Both supply-side and demand-side measures are recommended for sustainable development and management of this groundwater resource. The findings can be up-scaled to other similar environments.     

Characterization of an island aquifer from tidal response

Growing demand for potable water for various needs has lead to indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater resources, particularly, in the terrain where surface water resources are negligible. One such area is an island where groundwater is the only source of fresh water. Groundwater is the prime source of fresh water on most of the atolls in the world. Groundwater on these islands is in the form of thin fragile floating lens and is often vulnerable to overexploitation, draught, tidal waves, tsunami and cyclone resulting in seawater ingress. Sustainable development of this meager source of fresh groundwater for a longer time becomes a more difficult task on small atolls with a large population depending on this vital resource. To develop a sustainable management scheme and identify the vulnerable part of aquifer, characterization of the aquifer system on islands is imperative. Groundwater on an atoll is extremely vulnerable to seawater mixing through natural as well as human activities. One such natural process is the tides of the ocean. The response of sea tide to the water table on the island offers valuable data as well as cost-effective means to characterize an aquifer system. Such characterization is vital for the management of groundwater resources on an atoll. The obtained results have compared well with the parameters obtained through a conventional pumping test. Therefore, the use of tidal response to the water table, which can easily be recorded, provides a rapid and cost-effective means to characterization of the aquifer system on the island.     

Conceptual model of a coastal aquifer system in northern Greece and assessment of saline vulnerability due to seawater intrusion conditions

This paper refers to the development of a conceptual model for the management of a coastal aquifer in northern Greece. The research presents the interpretation and analysis of the quantitative (groundwater level recordings and design of piezometric maps) regime and the formation of the upcone within the area of investigation. Additionally it provides the elaboration of the results of chemical analyses of groundwater samples (physicochemical parameters, major chemical constituents and heavy metals and trace elements) of the area which were taken in three successive irrigation periods (July–August 2003, July–August 2004 and July 2005), in order to identify areas of aquifer vulnerability. The study identifies the areas where ion exchange phenomena occur, as well as the parts of the aquifer where the qualitative degradation of the aquifer system is enhanced. The paper, finally, assesses the lack of any scientific groundwater resources management of the area by the local water authorities, as well as the current practices of the existing pumping conditions scheme as applied by groundwater users.An erratum to this article can be found at     

The water on a small karst island: the island of Korčula (Croatia) as an example

The island of Korčula, which has an area of 271.47 km² is located along the north-eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Due to the Mediterranean climate, size and karst geology its water resources are very scarce. This paper describes the natural features of the island (air temperature, precipitation, geology, hydrogeology and groundwater) which are important for the water appearance and its distribution in time and space. The water supply of the island has been managed in the following ways: through a pipeline from the mainland, by drawing groundwater and by rain harvesting. Tourism causes high seasonal water needs which are barely met by the existing water supply system. Therefore, present water resource management on the island must be improved. The paper also presents mathematical programming scheme to get optimal costs and benefits of water exploitation on the island. Besides economic aspect, linear programming is applied to social and ecological objectives, as well. This study suggests that island’s water management should be primarily based on wisely using its proper water resources.     

基于GIS的地下水资源分区研究及承载本底评价

地下水资源承载本底与自然属性密切相关,地下水资源分区是评价地下水资源承载本底的重要基础工作。文章以新一轮地下水资源评价成果和主要平原盆地、部分省（区市）地下水资源最新调查评价成果为基础,综合地形地貌、构造单元、气候分带、地表水流域、含水层介质等多项指标,把地表水和地下水看作一个整体,将全国划分为26个一级区、143个二级区、412个三级区。通过将地下水资源分区与县级行政区划耦合确定了4 942个计算单元,利用地下水可开采模数指标,实现了地下水资源承载本底评价由以自然单元的评价到县级行政单元的成果表达,从而建立了地下水资源承载本底评价空间数据基础,可服务于地下水资源承载能力动态评价和地下水合理开发利用与管理。地下水资源承载本底结果显示:我国地下水资源承载本底总体表现出平原盆地区为中-高水平,北方干旱区为低水平,区域差异性较大。承载本底等级为高、较高、中、较低、低的县（区、市）分别为774,332,798,387,573个,面积占比分别为11.15%、5.87%、19.56%、12.09%、52.34%,基本反映出我国地下水资源禀赋条件和区域分布规律。     

Challenges of governing groundwater in U.S. western states

Over the last several decades, water users in the western United States have increasingly turned to groundwater resources to support economic development, but few institutional arrangements were in place to govern groundwater use. Over time, numerous groundwater problems have emerged. Two closely related explanations for this are explored. Surface water sources were the first to be developed, and institutional arrangements to allocate surface water were the first to be devised. These arrangements are not particularly well suited for governing groundwater. Furthermore, the physical differences between rivers and aquifers lead to differences in the development of each type of water, and in production and organization costs. Groundwater development involves low upfront production costs, which individual water users can cover. Once groundwater users have individually invested in productive activities problems emerge, such as declining water tables. Thus, unlike surface water users, groundwater users are faced with devising institutional arrangements to coordinate their water uses after they have invested in and developed productive economic activities. Most western states regulate pumping, although groundwater users, in general, resist pumping limits. The discussion concludes with proposals for modifying the prior appropriation doctrine to better accommodate the active management of groundwater basins for long-term sustainability.

地下水资源可持续利用的制度架构——以华北平原为例

在水资源日益成为制约我国经济社会发展的今天,地下水资源由于其分布广泛、水质纯净、开采方便等特点被过度开采,华北平原是我国地下水开采最严重的地区。针对华北平原地下水资源利用现状与存在问题,从而看到加强地下水资源保护的紧迫性,要建立健全地下水资源管理的制度法规。把行政法中的许可证制度、经济刺激制度,环境法中的环境影响评价制度、信息公开制度引入到地下水的管理与保护之中,为实现地下水资源的可持续利用提供更全面的制度架构。     

The economics of optimal urban groundwater management in southwestern USA

Groundwater serves as the primary water source for approximately 80% of public water systems in the United States, and for many more as a secondary source. Traditionally management relies on groundwater to meet rising demand by increasing supply, but climate uncertainty and population growth require more judicious management to achieve efficiency and sustainability. Over-pumping leads to groundwater overdraft and jeopardizes the ability of future users to depend on the resource. Optimal urban groundwater pumping can play a role in solving this conundrum. This paper investigates to what extent and under what circumstances controlled pumping improves social welfare. It considers management in a hydro-economic framework and finds the optimal pumping path and the optimal price path. These allow for the identification of the social benefit of controlled pumping, and the scarcity rent, which is one tool to sustainably manage groundwater resources. The model is numerically illustrated with a case study from Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA). The Albuquerque results indicate that, in the presence of strong demand growth, controlled pumping improves social welfare by 22%, extends use of the resource, and provides planners with a mechanism to advance the economic sustainability of groundwater.     

江苏苏锡常地区地下水开采出现的问题及对策研究

近年来,江苏苏锡常地区地表水由于遭受严重污染,致使地下水开采量逐年增加;又由于缺乏正确认识和科学管理,造成该地区地下水资源长期超采,从而引发了地面沉降、地裂缝等环境地质问题和地质灾害。本文从可持续发展观点出发,为使地下水资源合理开采和保护同步发展,有针对性地探讨了该地区地下水资源合理开发和保护对策。     

我国北方典型岩溶地下水位对降水及气象指数的响应特征——以鲁中地区为例

我国北方岩溶水资源是其经济社会发展的重要资源基础,表征水资源赋存特征的岩溶地下水位动态及其影响因素分析能够为岩溶水资源管理及合理开发利用提供重要支撑。本文选取鲁中地区3个典型水文地质单元,基于2010-2017年月值降水、地下水位及NPI气象指数数据,采用小波分析方法对上述指标的周期性、响应特征及遥相关特征进行了分析。结果表明:（1）各岩溶地下水位动态、降水与NPI的主波动周期均为1 a,其显著周期与分布时段等的异同是受自然条件和人类活动共同作用的结果。（2）各水文地质单元岩溶水位对降水的响应时滞为95.81~146.64 d,其差异主要源于观测站所处的地下水流系统的位置的不同。（3）NPI与降水存在一定的遥相关,与受降水影响的岩溶水位动态也存在遥相关。各岩溶水位对NPI的遥相关时滞为111.75~169.77 d,相比水位对降水时滞有所增加。鲁中岩溶地区地下水位对降水与NPI存在规律性的响应时滞,此种特征可为我国北方岩溶地下水位的预警预报提供帮助。      

Groundwater Environment of a Tropical East Flowing River of Western Ghats,Southern India

Abstraction of groundwater resources is increasing over the years to meet its ever-increasing demand for industrial, agricultural and domestic purposes throughout the world. The scenario is even worse in the east flowing rivers of the Western Ghats, where the demand of water is high under changing climatic conditions. Such situation may affect the groundwater resources of the river basin on a long run. The aim of the present study is to characterize the geochemistry of groundwater in Tamiraparani sub-basin through geochemical modeling and deduce the ionic interactions with the aid of geostatistical and multivariate statistical techniques. A total of 40 groundwater samples from shallow aquifers were collected randomly throughout the sub-basin for assessing its physicochemical parameters, which include physical properties of the water, major ions and nutrients. Two major hydrogeochemical facies were identified such as mixed Ca-Mg-Cl and Ca-HCO₃ groups. The nutrients derived from agricultural runoff, urban discharge and organic decomposition alters the nutrient level in the groundwater. The dissolution/precipitation of minerals such as calcite and dolomite controls the chemical constituents of the groundwater. The multivariate statistical analysis indicates that natural weathering of source rocks is the main contributors of ions in the groundwater followed by anthropogenic activities such as agricultural practices and urbanization. The insights obtained from this study can be helpful for sustainable groundwater management and long-term monitoring studies.     

Climate change and groundwater resources in Cambodia

Climate change has become a major global concern and threatens the security of natural environmental resources, including groundwater, especially for Cambodia. In this study, literature reviews related to climate change and groundwater resources in Cambodia were evaluated to address the impact of climate change on the groundwater environment. In Cambodia, global climate change will likely affect available water resources by driving changes in the groundwater recharge and usage pattern. Despite a general increase in the mean annual rainfall, a reduction in rainfall is anticipated during the dry season, which could lead to shortages of fresh water during the dry season. The impact of climate change on water resource environments can significantly affect national economic development. Thus, strategic management plansfor groundwater in response to climate change should be established to ensure the security of water resources in Cambodia.     

东北地区地下水资源可持续利用的主要问题和对策浅析

在概述东北地区自然地理和水文地质条件的基础上，从地下水供需矛盾、地下水超采及其环境效应、地下水污染等方面阐述了影响地下水资源可持续利用的主要问题，并从社会发展、科学技术、开采历史、水资源管理、立法与执法等5个层面进行了分析。针对东北地区国民经济发展对水资源的需求、目前存在的影响地下水资源可持续利用的主要问题，提出了不同地区的地下水资源勘查开发、节约用水、地下水理论研究等地下水资源的可持续利用对策，对区域宏观水资源管理具有参考价值。     

“水文地质与水资源调查计划”进展

为服务生态文明建设和自然资源管理,促进山水林田湖草沙生命共同体健康协调,中国地质调查局组织开展以流域为单元的全国水文地质与水资源调查,重点部署了国家地下水监测工程运行维护、全国地下水位统测、全国地下水资源评价、重点地区水平衡研究、水文地质与水资源智慧服务系统建设、服务脱贫攻坚与乡村振兴等工作任务。2019年以来主要取得七方面进展,包括研究编制了基于生态优先理念涵盖大气水、地表水、地下水、海洋水的《地质调查支撑服务水资源管理总体设计》,引领了地质调查转型发展;高效运行国家地下水监测工程,数据对外实现全面共享服务,有力支撑了自然资源、水利、生态环境和科研等领域地下水管理与研究研究;建立了较完善的全国地下水位统测网络,统测点达5.6万个,准确掌握区域地下水流场年度变化;建立了全国地下水年度调查监测评价工作机制,实现地下水资源量、储存量及变化量年度出数;探索开展海河流域等重点地区水平衡研究,掌握了区域水平衡状况、人类活动影响下的水资源变化过程及其互馈机制;搭建全国水文地质与水资源智慧服务平台,初步建立多要素的全国水文地质与水资源数据库,研发了地下水资源在线评价系统;高质量完成扶贫找水任务,有力支撑服务了脱贫攻坚与乡村振兴。     

Containment landfills: the myth of sustainability

A number of major problems associated with the containment approach to landfill management are highlighted. The fundamental flaw in the strategy is that dry entombment of waste inhibits its degradation, so prolonging the activity of the waste and delaying, possibly for several decades, its stabilisation to an inert state. This, coupled with uncertainties as to the long-term durability of synthetic lining systems, increases the potential, for liner failure at some stage in the future whilst the waste is still active, leading to groundwater pollution by landfill leachate. Clay liners also pose problems as the smectite components of bentonite liners are subject to chemical interaction with landfill leachate, leading to a reduction in their swelling capacity and increase in hydraulic conductivity. Thus, their ability to perform a containment role diminishes with time. More critically, if diffusion rather than advection is the dominant contaminant migration mechanism, then no liner will be completely impermeable to pollutants and the containment strategy becomes untenable.

There are other less obvious problems with the containment strategy. One is the tendency to place total reliance on artificial lining systems and pay little attention to local geological/hydrogeological conditions during selection of landfill sites. Based on the attitude that any site can be engineered for landfilling and that complete protection of groundwater can be effected by lining systems, negative geological characteristics of sites are being ignored. Furthermore, excessive costs in construction and operation of containment landfills necessitate that they are large scale operations (superdumps), with associated transfer facilities and transport costs, all of which add to overall waste management costs. Taken together with unpredictable post-closure maintenance and monitoring costs, possibly over several decades, the economics of the containment strategy becomes unsustainable. Such a high-cost, high-technology approach to landfill leachate management is generally beyond the financial and technological resources of the less wealthy nations, and places severe burdens on their economies. For instance, in third world countries with limited water resources, the need to preserve groundwater quality is paramount, so expensive containment strategies are adopted in the belief that they offer greatest protection to groundwater. A final indictment of the containment strategy is that in delaying degradation of waste, the present generations waste problems will be left for future generations to deal with.

More cost-effective landfill management strategies take advantage of the natural hydrogeological characteristics and attenuation properties of the subsurface. The ‘dilute and disperse’ strategy employs the natural sorption and ion exchange properties of clay minerals, and it has been shown that in appropriate situations it is effective in attenuating landfill leachate and preventing pollution of water resources. Operated at sites with thick clay overburden sequences, using a permeable cap to maximise rainfall infiltration and a leachate collection system to control leachate migration, ‘dilute and disperse’ is a viable leachate management strategy. Hydraulic traps are relatively common hydrogeological situations where groundwater flow is towards the landfill, so effectively suppressing outwards advective flow of leachate. This approach is also best employed with a clay liner, taking advantage of the attenuation properties of clays to combat diffusive flow of contaminants. These strategies are likely to guarantee greater protection of groundwater in the long term.