Challenges in freshwater management in low coral atolls

Abstract

Population centres in low atoll islands have water supply problems that are amongst the most critical in the world. Fresh groundwater, the major source of water in many atolls, is extremely vulnerable to natural processes and human activities. Storm surges and over-extractions cause seawater intrusion, while human settlements and agriculture can pollute shallow groundwaters. Limited land areas restrict freshwater quantities, particularly in frequent ENSO-related droughts. Demand for freshwater is increasing and availability is extremely limited. At the core of many groundwater management problems are the traditional water ownership rights inherent in land tenure and the conflict between the requirements of urbanised societies and the traditional values and rights of subsistence communities living on groundwater reserves. Resource limitations and geographic isolation restrict the potential for increasing wealth through crop exports. Water governance reforms and the provision of knowledge to communities are critical. Regional water organisations, fostering self-support, are a key to developing island-adopted and owned solutions.

Dynamic Adaptive Management Pathways for Drinking Water Security in Kiribati

“…These impacts are likely to be compounded by the projected impacts of climate change that will likely have a negative effect on both the quantity and quality of groundwater resources through variations in precipitation and rising sea level (White et al 2007;Kuruppu & Liverman 2011). Recently the Government of Kiribati operationalised various national adaptation programmes in which the water sector has been identified as a vulnerable sector to climate change impacts (PCCSP 2011b).…”

Pacific island regional preparedness for El Niño

“…There is no doubt that rainfall was significantly lower than average in these locations, but information is not provided regarding how water use might have substantially increased or how water management might have changed since the previous major rainfall deficit. In fact, water use patterns have changed so much in Pacific communities over recent decades, that droughts are about water management and sea level rise salinating freshwater sources in addition to changes in rainfall patterns (White and Falkland 2010;White et al 2007). It is the same with droughts linked to the 2015-2016 El Niño; mainly the rainfall deficit is discussed, with limited attention given to water management, particularly water demand.…”

Atoll Groundwater Movement and Its Response to Climatic and Sea-Level Fluctuations

“…A number of threats to the FWLs have been identified, including: (a) infiltration of anthropogenic contaminants [5]; (b) upconing of saline water due to excessive freshwater pumping [6]; (c) reduction in reef and island size due to coastal erosion, leading in turn to a reduction in the size of the FWL [7]; (d) droughts that hinder successful recharge of the FWLs [5,[8][9][10]; and (e) storm surges that cause large waves to wash over the atolls resulting in saline intrusion [11][12][13]. Nonetheless, a better understanding of the processes that influence these FWLs-especially in light of expected climate change scenarios on low-lying atoll islands is essential to better assess atoll water resources management challenges in the near future.…”