A review of groundwater sustainability crisis in the Pacific Island countries: Challenges and solutions

Sharan, Ashneel; Lal, Alvin; Datta, Bithin

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127165

Cited by 26 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 128 publications

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“…The process of calculating the minimum number of sites is further discussed by Amiri et al [7]. In summary, the following two conditions must be satisfied: (1) the distribution of factor should be uniform throughout the entire study area and in each sub-area, and (2) the total number of monitoring sites for the entire study area is equal to the minimum number of required monitoring sites as determined by the gamma test. By adding and removing potential sites until the number of potential sites meets the required number of monitoring sites for every sub-area, a collection of potential monitoring sites for Mandaue City is produced.…”

Section: Groundwater Monitoring Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, while tapping into groundwater in these cases may be justified, the use of groundwater poses several threats to its own sustainability especially when left unmonitored and unregulated. A well-documented example of this is seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers [1]. Seawater intrusion refers to the subsurface migration of seawater into freshwater aquifers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design of groundwater monitoring network for coastal aquifers based on seawater intrusion vulnerability: A case study of Mandaue City, Philippines

Condor

Patiño

Sinogaya

2022

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Groundwater is an essential source of freshwater. However, this natural resource exhibits high vulnerability to contamination due to human activities and natural phenomena. Over extraction of groundwater and sea level rise have hastened seawater intrusion in aquifers that lie along the coasts. This has led to the accelerated deterioration of groundwater quality in coastal aquifers. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop tools to monitor groundwater resources. In this study, a framework of selecting priority areas for monitoring was applied to Mandaue City, Philippines. The monitoring areas were selected based on their vulnerability to seawater intrusion using the GALDIT-index. A collection of 77 initial public sites were investigated as potential locations of monitoring wells. The resulting network determined 45 priority areas located across the study area wherein monitoring wells should be located for the long-term observation of groundwater quality. These sites are composed of 28 from the initially investigated locations and 17 proposed sites which were determined to satisfy the required number of wells lacking in certain areas. The results of this study are intended to aid decision makers in creating groundwater management plans.

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Section: Groundwater Monitoring Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of groundwater monitoring network for coastal aquifers based on seawater intrusion vulnerability: A case study of Mandaue City, Philippines

Condor

Patiño

Sinogaya

2022

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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“…Pacific Island countries (PICs) use groundwater daily for drinking, cooking, washing, farming, irrigation, etc. Climate change, natural disasters, over-abstraction and other anthropogenic factors constantly affect the groundwater resources in PICs (Sharan et al, 2021 ). The groundwater resources in PICs are also prone to SWI problems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are numerous techniques and tools for preventing, managing and minimising the SWIs. The detailed techniques and tools are thoroughly described by Sharan et al ( 2021 ). Three-dimensional (3D) numerical modelling techniques are one of the reliable, efficient and cost-effective tools for preventing, managing and minimising the SWIs in coastal aquifers (Lal & Datta, 2017 ; Roy & Datta, 2020 ; Sharan et al, 2021 , 2023 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating numerical modelling and scenario-based sensitivity analysis for saltwater intrusion management: case study of a complex heterogeneous island aquifer system

Sharan

Datta

Lal

2023

Environ Monit Assess

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Population growth, industrialisation and increasing agricultural demands have significantly stressed groundwater resources in Pacific Island countries (PICs). Climate change and sea-level rise also affect the groundwater resources in PICs. These anthropogenic and natural factors give rise to saltwater intrusion (SWI), a major growing environmental problem in the PICs. SWI is a highly non-linear process which makes it more complex to manage. However, with the help of numerical modelling, SWI can be monitored, managed and controlled. In the present study, we used an illustrative study area where the hydrogeological parameters and other boundary conditions used are similar to the PICs aquifer systems in Vanuatu. The scenarios include changing the barrier wells, injection wells, recharge, hydraulic head, hydraulic conductivity and grid size. The numerical simulation model of the study area was developed, and different scenarios were tested using SEAWAT modules. Apart from salt, we also modelled leachate and engine oil present in the investigated study area to see how it affects the freshwater wells over time. The scenario-based sensitivity analysis tests indicate that injection wells, recharge and hydraulic conductivities are highly sensitive, and with the proper modification, SWI can be managed or regulated. The sensitivity of grid size showed that the simulated results varied within the 10% range of different gird sizes. Moreover, it was also found that the rise in sea level or coastal heads by 0.3–1 m does not significantly cause further SWI encroachment in aquifers. The results from this study are very crucial in this modern era when freshwater needs in coastal areas, especially PICs, are rapidly increasing, and fresh groundwater resources are declining. The novel outcome presented in this study opens pathways for further detailed modelling and numerical studies in the field of SWI management strategy development and is, therefore, beneficial for policymakers, groundwater modellers and general scientific communities.

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“…Another study demonstrated that population growth and rapid development had boosted the demand for groundwater in Paci c Island countries. They proposed strict rules and processes that might help reduce SWI and improve management through 3D modeling, optimal simulation, and arti cial intelligence (Sharan et al, 2021). Groundwater vulnerability maps are essential for water resource management and land use planning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the DRASTIC + L and modified VABHAT models in vulnerability assessment of Karaj aquifer, central Iran, using MCDM, SWARA, and BWM methods

2023

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One of the most important and perilous groundwater contaminants is nitrate, which is considered a potential environmental risk in Iran and an international issue globally. The study area is the Karaj uncon ned aquifer, Central Iran, subjected to quantity and quality hazards due to unbalanced urban, industrial, and agricultural developments. Evaluation of the vulnerability condition of this aquifer against nitrate as the Contamination index is essential since the most amount of consumption water in the area is provided from groundwater. The study aims to detect vulnerable zones of the Karaj aquifer using DRASTIC + L and Modi ed VEBHAT vulnerability models. The weighting of the parameters has been performed employing the recent Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods, including Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and Best Worst Method (BWM). The results demonstrated that the most vulnerability had occurred from the east to the south of the aquifer (high to super-critical), including urban and residential areas, regarding both the vulnerability models' plots. The plots of the two methods are similar and did not exhibit considerable differences. The Modi ed VEBHAT has more certainty than the DRASTIC + L and has optimized and improved the DRASTIC + L model because the most vulnerable zone in the output plots of the Modi ed VEBHAT model is in the east of the aquifer, which has good agreement with the nitrate contaminant mass with the highest concentration.

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A review of groundwater sustainability crisis in the Pacific Island countries: Challenges and solutions

Cited by 26 publications

References 128 publications

Design of groundwater monitoring network for coastal aquifers based on seawater intrusion vulnerability: A case study of Mandaue City, Philippines

Design of groundwater monitoring network for coastal aquifers based on seawater intrusion vulnerability: A case study of Mandaue City, Philippines

Integrating numerical modelling and scenario-based sensitivity analysis for saltwater intrusion management: case study of a complex heterogeneous island aquifer system

Comparison of the DRASTIC + L and modified VABHAT models in vulnerability assessment of Karaj aquifer, central Iran, using MCDM, SWARA, and BWM methods

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