THE GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND ITSSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTIN THE SOUTH EDGE OF TARIM BASIN

1 INTRODUCTIONSustainability as present understand comes fromword protection strategy commission, which firstly putforward some wide excepted environmental sustainability principles and three important identifications forlife support system: soil, air and water. Then, in thereport of Our Common Future (WCED, 1987), theconcept of sustainable development is put to an outstanding level. Sustainable groundwater resources development is then a great issue in the recent years andthe future (…

The groundwater resources and its sustainable development in the south edge of Tarim Basin

There is a potential to certain extend for groundwater development in the piedmont plain in south edge of Tarim Basin. If the surface water use keeps the scale as present, the maximum safe yield of groundwater is about 2.05 × 10⁹m³/a that is 55.8% of the recharge. Thus the evapotranspiration discharge will reduce 60.4%, while spring water reducing 35.6%. If the surface water use rate is up to 80% and coefficient of canal water use increase to 0.55 in the future, the maximum safe yield of groundwater will reduce to 1.85 × 10⁹m³/a with the recharge reducing to 3.1 × 10⁹m³. However, the sustainable groundwater development is depended on the protection of the quality aspect linked with the quantity aspect. In particular, protection of the glaoier and water conservation forestry in the Kunlun Mountains and coordinating development of surface water and groundwater should be taken seriously. Besides, the legislation, administrative management and the technology construction, and ability construction are also critical important and necessary.