Hydrogeologic assessment of escalating groundwater exploitation in the Indus Basin, Pakistan

Khan, Shahbaz; Rana, Tariq; Gabriel, Hamza Farooq; Ullah, Muhammad Kaleem

doi:10.1007/s10040-008-0336-8

Cited by 67 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…If water table levels continue to fall, they will eventually reach a point where it is no longer practicable to extract (Khan et al, 2008). The cost of pumping either by electrical pumps or the more common diesel pumps is likely to rise sharply with diminishing world oil resources.…”

Section: Reduced Groundwater Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of water resources management in the Indus Basin under changing climatic and socio economic conditions

Archer

Forsythe

Fowler

et al. 2010

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

161

109

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Abstract. Pakistan is highly dependent on water resources originating in the mountain sources of the upper Indus for irrigated agriculture which is the mainstay of its economy. Hence any change in available resources through climate change or socio-economic factors could have a serious impact on food security and the environment. In terms of both ratio of withdrawals to runoff and per-capita water availability, Pakistan's water resources are already highly stressed and will become increasingly so with projected population changes. Potential changes to supply through declining reservoir storage, the impact of waterlogging and salinity or over-abstraction of groundwater, or reallocations for environmental remediation of the Indus Delta or to meet domestic demands, will reduce water availability for irrigation.The impact of climate change on resources in the Upper Indus is considered in terms of three hydrological regimes -a nival regime dependent on melting of winter snow, a glacial regime, and a rainfall regime dependent on concurrent rainfall. On the basis of historic trends in climate, most notably the decline in summer temperatures, there is no strong evidence in favour of marked reductions in water resources from any of the three regimes. Evidence for changes in transHimalayan glacier mass balance is mixed. Sustainability of water resources appears more threatened by socio-economic changes than by climatic trends. Nevertheless, analysis and the understanding of the linkage of climate, glaciology and runoff is still far from complete; recent past climate experience may not provide a reliable guide to the future.

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Section: Reduced Groundwater Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of water resources management in the Indus Basin under changing climatic and socio economic conditions

Archer

Forsythe

Fowler

et al. 2010

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

161

109

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the Indus, hydraulic conductivity decreases from >60 to < 10 m/d from the upper to lower basin. These data derive from pumping tests carried out in tube wells generally <100 m deep and data from previous studies by Bennett et al (1969), Ahmad (1993), Khan et al (2008) and additional data from WAPDA. In the Ganges basin, a similar systematic proximal to distal trend in permeability is shown from pumping-test data within Bangladesh with hydraulic conductivity reducing from >50 m/d close to the Himalaya to less than 20 m/d near to the coast (Shamsudduha et al 2011).…”

Section: Permeabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogeological typologies of the Indo-Gangetic basin alluvial aquifer, South Asia

et al. 2017

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The Indo-Gangetic aquifer is one of the world's most important transboundary water resources, and the most heavily exploited aquifer in the world. To better understand the aquifer system, typologies have been characterized for the aquifer, which integrate existing datasets across the IndoGangetic catchment basin at a transboundary scale for the first time, and provide an alternative conceptualization of this aquifer system. Traditionally considered and mapped as a single homogenous aquifer of comparable aquifer properties and groundwater resource at a transboundary scale, the typologies illuminate significant spatial differences in recharge, permeability, storage, and groundwater chemistry across the aquifer system at this transboundary scale. These changes are shown to be systematic, concurrent with large-scale changes in sedimentology of the Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial aquifer, climate, and recent irrigation practices. Seven typologies of the aquifer are presented, each having a distinct set of challenges and opportunities for groundwater development and a different resilience to abstraction and climate change. The seven typologies are: (1) the piedmont margin, (2) the Upper Indus and Upper-Mid Ganges, (3) the Lower Ganges and Mid Brahmaputra, (4) the fluvially influenced deltaic area of the Bengal Basin, (5) the Middle Indus and Upper Ganges, (6) the Lower Indus, and (7) the marine-influenced deltaic areas.

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“…The model area had 3653 inactive cells, which were outside the boundary of the study area, while the model area had 2123 active cells located within the boundary of study area. The cell size of 2.5 km × 2.5 km (6.25 km 2 ) was also used for groundwater modeling studies by Al-Fatlawi [32] in Umm Er Radhuma, the Western Desert, Iraq, and by Khan et al [33] in Rechna Doab. Abu-el-Shar and Hatamleh [25] developed groundwater model for the Azraq Basin and the biggest cell size of 8.69 km 2 was selected.…”

Section: Model Input and Calibrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The minimum and maximum values of 1-265 m/day and 1-15 m/day, respectively, for horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities were used in the model, as majority of the tube wells were installed in second layer because 80% part of study area has ℎ in the range of 70-100 m/day. The similar range of values for hydraulic conductivity within Punjab province domain was used by Jehangir et al [35]; Ahmad [36]; Arshad [37]; and Khan et al [33]. The specific storage values for layer 1 ranged as 0.0001-0.001 m −1 and for the remaining layers the values of 0.00001-0.0003 m −1 were used.…”

Section: Model Input and Calibrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prinos [60] described the multiple pathways for saltwater intrusion into freshwater zone in Florida near the well field. Khan et al [33] said that overpumping of groundwater from aquifer induced the lateral saltwater intrusion into the fresh groundwater area and the vertical upconing of the saline interface is resulting in degradation of aquifers. The farmers in the study area abstracted groundwater without any quality check.…”

Section: Predicted Groundwater Quality Predicted Variations Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Regional Groundwater Quality Management through Hydrogeological Modeling in LCC, West Faisalabad, Pakistan

Shakoor¹,

Khan²,

Arshad³

et al. 2017

Journal of Chemistry

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The intensive abstraction of groundwater is causing a number of problems such as groundwater depletion and quality deterioration. To manage such problems, the data of 256 piezometers regarding groundwater levels and quality were acquired for the period of 2003 to 2012 in command area of Lower Chenab Canal (LCC), West Faisalabad, Pakistan. MODFLOW and MT3D models were calibrated for the period of 2003-2007 and validated for years 2008-2012 with respect to observed groundwater levels and quality data, respectively. After the successful calibration and validation, two pumping scenarios were developed up to year 2030: Scenario I (increase in pumping rate according to the historical trend) and Scenario II (adjusted canal water supplies and groundwater patterns). The predicted results of Scenario I revealed that, up to year 2030, the area under good quality groundwater reduced significantly from 50.35 to 28.95%, while marginal and hazardous groundwater quality area increased from 49.65 to 71.06%. Under Scenario II, the good quality groundwater area increased to 6.32% and 12.48% area possesses less hazardous quality of groundwater. It was concluded that the canal water supply should shift from good quality aquifer zone to poor quality aquifer zone for proficient management of groundwater at the study area.

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Hydrogeologic assessment of escalating groundwater exploitation in the Indus Basin, Pakistan

Cited by 67 publications

References 9 publications

Sustainability of water resources management in the Indus Basin under changing climatic and socio economic conditions

Sustainability of water resources management in the Indus Basin under changing climatic and socio economic conditions

Hydrogeological typologies of the Indo-Gangetic basin alluvial aquifer, South Asia

Regional Groundwater Quality Management through Hydrogeological Modeling in LCC, West Faisalabad, Pakistan

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