scholarly journals Physical–chemical evaluation of groundwater quality in semi-arid areas: case study—Sabzevar plain, Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghasem Panahi ◽  
Mahya Hassanzadeh Eskafi ◽  
Hamidreza Rahimi ◽  
Alireza Faridhosseini ◽  
Xiaonan Tang
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Arid Areas ◽  
Agricultural Use ◽  
Anions And Cations ◽  
Semi Arid

AbstractGroundwater is one of the most important water sources in arid and semi-arid areas. With the increasing world population and the water demand for agriculture and urban use, the need for water resources has increased, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, where groundwater resources play a significant role. To prevent the pollution of groundwater resources, various studies for their preservation and maintenance should be carried out, including a detailed plan for proper management of water resources and establishing a balance between water quality and how to use them. It becomes important to understand the spatial change of the quality of groundwater resources. In this study, Sabzevar plain, a typical region of semi-arid climate in Iran, was selected as a case study to assess the groundwater quality of the region, using data from 24 observation wells between 2015 and 2019. Using Arc GIS software, a map of groundwater quality parameters in the study area was prepared for quality assessment and comparison with existing international standards. The results showed that (except pH and HCO3−) the concentration of Sodium, Magnesium, and other anions and cations is higher than the corresponding WHO standard limit, suggesting that the study area is unsuitable for drinking and agricultural use. According to the Wilcox chart, 87.5% of the samples are in the C4S4 class while 8.33% are in the C4S3 class, showing the groundwater unsuitable for agricultural use due to its high salinity and alkalinity. Piper diagrams show that more than 50% of the samples are non-carbonate alkalis, indicating a very high salinity in the area. According to the pie chart, chlorine ion and sodium ion are the dominant anions and cations in the Sabzevar plain, respectively. The Schuler diagram shows that none of the samples examined were in a good class for drinking. Therefore, considering the importance of water for agricultural activities in the study area, it is recommended to have agricultural management solutions to prevent groundwater mixing with freshwater resources.

scholarly journals Salinity-Based Spatial Evaluation of Groundwater Quality for Agricultural Use

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parisa Pashahkhah ◽  
Hossein Babazadeh ◽  
Shahram Shahmohammadi-Kalalagh ◽  
Mahdi Sarai-Tabrizi
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Aquifer Management ◽  
Salinity Hazard ◽  
Agricultural Use ◽  
Validation Technique ◽  
West Azerbaijan ◽  
Ph Level ◽  
Quality Maps

Abstract The Miandoab Plain has the largest water reserve in the province of West Azerbaijan, northwest Iran. Groundwater resources along with surface-water meet the needs of urban, industrial, and agricultural sectors, and therefore, their quality should be examined. Water quality indices are useful tools for aquifer management. In this research, the groundwater quality of the Miandoab Plain for agricultural purposes was investigated. For this purpose, the concentrations of the ions Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, Hco3-, So42-, Cl- and the pH level were measured. The indices effective salinity and potential salinity as well as sodium adsorption ratio and electrical conductivity were analyzed to evaluate the salinity. The geostatistical analysis was performed using the GS+ software, and the zoning maps of salinity hazard were prepared using ArcGIS. To prepare the maps, EC, ES, PS, and SAR as well as Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, Hco3-, So42, and Cl- were selected based on the semi-variogram values ​​and cross-validation technique. The Cl- map was considered as the basis for preparing the groundwater quality maps of the region. The results showed that the groundwater quality in the east of the plain is suitable, in the central part can be recommended under constant supervision, and in the west is unsuitable for agriculture. In other words, according to the geography of the plain, the recharge area is the low-risk part of the plain and the salinity hazard increases toward the discharge area. The results can pave the way for the relevant organizations to plan for the agricultural and environmental sectors.

scholarly journals Effect of Sinkholes on Groundwater Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Karst Area in Abarkooh, Iran

Environments ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Božo Soldo ◽  
Siamak Mahmoudi Sivand ◽  
Ardalan Afrasiabian ◽  
Bojan Đurin
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Karst Area ◽  
Arid Zones ◽  
Arid Areas ◽  
Original Procedure ◽  
Semi Arid

Despite protection measurements and their natural position, groundwater resources are very vulnerable due to natural and anthropogenic impacts. This is especially emphasized in karst arid and semi-arid zones, due to increased requirements for water. Paper deals with the impacts of the sinkholes on groundwater quality on Abarkooh city in Iran. There are 28 sinkholes located in Abarkooh plain. The aims of the paper are to specify the characteristics and causes of sinkholes occurrence, as well as to specify the vulnerable areas and future development of sinkholes and their effect on the groundwater resources. Next step is defining of the original procedure for protection of groundwater resources in characteristic areas, as karst arid and semi-arid areas are. By taking into the account geological, hydrogeological and meteorological data, and finally through hydrogeochemical and geophysical analysis, final conclusions and recommendations for the protection of the groundwater resources are obtained. This has significant importance for water supply of the Abarkooh city in Iran. It should be noted that the mentioned methodology for the protection of groundwater resources could be applied in other arid and semi-arid areas.

scholarly journals Valuation of Water Resource Green Efficiency Based on SBM–TOBIT Panel Model: Case Study from Henan Province, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6944
Author(s):  
Yiru Guo ◽  
Yan Hu ◽  
Ke Shi ◽  
Yuriy Bilan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Environmental Pollution ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Henan Province ◽  
Arid Areas ◽  
Efficiency Assessment

With progress in China’s industrialization and urbanization, the contradiction of social and economic development with water resource supply–demand and water environmental pollution becomes increasingly prominent. To cope with the dual constraints of resource shortage and environmental regulations, the concept of water resource green efficiency that considers economic, environmental, and ecological factors is highly involved to promote sustainable economic development. The theoretical and practice circle devote to scientific green efficiency assessment of water resources and effective recognition of relevant influencing factors. However, to an extent they neglect social benefits brought by sustainable development and possible influences of industrial restructuring on green efficiency. They also lack concern on green efficiency of water resources in inland arid areas. To offset the disadvantages of existing studies, the philosophy of sustainable development was integrated into the input–output assessment system of green efficiency of water resources, and an assessment model was constructed using the SBM–Tobit (slack-based measure and Tobit) method. Moreover, a case study based on Henan Province, China was carried out. The green efficiencies of water resources in 18 cities of Henan Province during 2011–2018 were calculated. The operation mechanism of relevant influencing factors was discussed, and the methods to improve green efficiency of water resources were determined. Results reveal that the sustainable green efficiency of water resources in Henan Province increased in fluctuation during 2011–2018. The mean green efficiency increased from 0.425 in 2011 to 0.498 in 2018. At present, green efficiency of water resources in Henan Province remains at a low level, with a mean of 0.504. Reducing water consumption intensity and increasing investment to water environmental pollution technologies can promote green efficiency of water resources significantly. Conclusions provide a new method for scientific measurement and green efficiency assessment of water resources in inland arid areas.

Analysing the effectiveness of groundwater regulation: a comparative study of Turkey and California

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammed Yasir Ak ◽  
David Benson ◽  
Karen Scott
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Groundwater Management ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Arid Zones ◽  
Groundwater Abstraction ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Agricultural Use ◽  
Semi Arid

<p>Groundwater abstraction has increased significantly around the world in the last three decades, placing a strain on the sustainability of domestic and agricultural use plus negatively impacting the role groundwater plays in water storage in the absence of surface water. While the proportionality of surface water use has decreased as a result, groundwater has expanded its share of freshwater use. Groundwater management challenges are particularly acute in semi-arid zones due to low replenishment rates. Multiple regulatory innovations are consequently emerging in different countries to regulate groundwater usage but comparative analyses of their effectiveness are limited. In addressing this gap, our paper therefore compares the regulatory performance of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Turkey with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in California, two semi-arid zones, as a basis for policy learning. Both legislative measures impose river basin planning to protect groundwater resources and should provide them with strong protection. In analysing the effectiveness of these measures, this paper firstly identifies the key regulatory requirements of each legislative framework regarding groundwater protection. Secondly, it compares the institutional arrangements for implementing them, using specific river basin case studies. Thirdly, it quantifies groundwater use trends in river basins to assess the effectiveness of the WFD and SGMA. Finally, it comparatively discusses outcomes to determine the factors influencing implementation effectiveness, in order to inform future regulatory design.</p>

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