Global Groundwater

Global Groundwater: Source, Scarcity, Sustainability, Security, and Solutions presents a compilation of compelling insights into groundwater scenarios within all groundwater-stressed regions across the world. Thematic sub-sections include groundwater studies on sources, scarcity, sustainability, security, and solutions. The chapters in these sub-sections provide unique knowledge on groundwater for scientists, planners, and policymakers, and are written by leading global experts and researchers. Global Groundwater: Source, Scarcity, Sustainability, Security, and Solutions provides a unique, unparalleled opportunity to integrate the knowledge on groundwater, ranging from availability to pollution, nation-level groundwater management to transboundary aquifer governance, and global-scale review to local-scale case-studies. Provides interdisciplinary content that bridges the knowledge from groundwater sources to solutions and sustainability, from science to policy, from technology to clean water and food Includes global and regional reviews and case studies, building a bridge between broad reviews of groundwater-related issues by domain experts as well as detailed case studies by researchers Identifies pathways for transforming knowledge to policy and governance of groundwater security and sustainability

This book presents a unique and up-to-date summary of what is known about groundwater on our planet, from a global perspective and in terms of area-specific factual information. Unlike most textbooks on groundwater, it does not deal with theoretical principles, but rather with the overall picture that emerges as a result of countless observations,

Climate change is expected to modify the hydrological cycle and affect freshwater resources. Groundwater is a critical source of fresh drinking water for almost half of the worlds population and it also supplies irrigated agriculture. Groundwater is also important in sustaining streams, lakes, wetlands, and associated ecosystems. But despite this,

The authors preceive a trend in the study and practice of groundwater hydrology. They see a science that is emerging from its geological roots and its early hydraulic applications into a full-fledged environmental science. They see a science that is becoming more interdisciplinary in nature and of greater importance in the affairs of man. This book is their response, and they have provided a text that is suited to the study of groundwater during this period of emergence.

The book on “Global Groundwater Resources and Management” has been aimed at growing recognition of depleting world groundwater resources, their contamination, future requirement of the fast growing human population of the world and urgent need of a better groundwater resources management system. The issues are quite complex but now they have crossed all the political boundaries and have become a common cause. The biggest challenge before the scientific community is to integrate valuable scientific advances and technological progress to solve the issue based on holistic and effective sustainable groundwater management. The book comprises the selected papers presented from all over the world at the 33rd International Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway, August 6 -14. 2008. A referee system of high, international standard has been used to review all the papers thoroughly before accepting them for publication. Each paper has been reviewed by at least two internationally recognized subject experts. In many cases as many as 5 or 6 subject experts have been contacted for the review work for a single paper because a much delayed response from the first two reviewers. Fortunately, all of them have sent their review comments simultaneously but at a later date. The book is broadly divided into five sections dealing with key aspects of global groundwater resources and management 1. Groundwater Resources and Management 2. Hydogeological Conditions, Groundwater Assessment and Modeling 3. Hydrogeochemistry and Contamination of Groundwater Resources 4. Exploitation of Groundwater and its Recharge 5. Hazardous Groundwater Conditions In total 31 research papers from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Finland, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Uzbekistan were selected from the General Symposium: Hydrogeology of the 33rd I.G.C. Oslo-2008. Reviewers were from countries like Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Finland, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

This report aims at integrating regional and country experiences and projects with regard to viable groundwater management practices for the future. It compiles and translates best available present scientific and technical knowledge on groundwater resources and their governance, which is often highly specialized, into simpler language and synoptic representations, accessible to a large public of policy and decision makers across development sectors. It serves as a technical basis for the visioning process, and for the definition of the Framework for Action on groundwater governance.This is one of 3 outputs of project GCP/GLO/277/GEF expected to be published under the names of its 5 partner organizations and widely circulated to policy and decision-makers in countries, as well as other stakeholders of groundwater governance and practionners around the world. This outputs provides the technical basis for the other two: A Global Vision for Groundwater Governance 2030 and Global Framework for Action to Achieve the Vision on Groundwater Governance.

Burgeoning population and climate change are among the most critical challenges facing the 21st century. Both have critical implications for groundwater resources, especially in many developing countries where resources are already under pressure. Due to low rainfall and high evaporation in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, groundwater is not being renewed, and groundwater laid down up to 10,000 years ago is literally being mined for irrigation, often very inefficiently. Over recent decades, groundwater levels have fallen dramatically in key grain-growing regions like the American Great Plains and the North China Plain. As the population grows and emerging economies like China and India demand more food, especially water intensive meat products, agricultural demand for water is set to increase. The rapid shift of population from the countryside to the cities is also adding to this pressure; most old wells in Beijing are now dry. Pollution from industry, agriculture and shanty towns is destroying many groundwater resources; some could take 50 years to clean up even with strict and immediate controls. This volume looks at the technical, socio-economic and political problems being faced, and at the developments in groundwater science and management that may help create a sustainable future for our planet.