Present state and future prospects for groundwater ecosystems

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan L. Danielopol ◽  
Christian Griebler ◽  
Amara Gunatilaka ◽  
Jos Notenboom
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Groundwater Ecosystems ◽  
Landscape Alteration ◽  
Groundwater Reserves

Ecological and socioeconomic aspects of subterranean hydrosystems have changed during the past 40–50 years. The major environmental pressures (mainly anthropogenic ones) impact the quantity and quality of groundwater resources and the state of subsurface ecosystems, and it is expected that the environmental pressures on groundwater will continue, at least until 2025, unless new environmental policies change this state of affairs. The world demographic increase and the general rise of water demand constitute one of the major environmental pressures on groundwater ecosystems especially in less developed countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Specific human activities leading to the depletion of groundwater reserves include agricultural practices, landscape alteration, urbanization demand for domestic and public drinking water, various industrial activities such as thermoelectric production and mining, and the rise of tourism in coastal areas. Climate change is contributing to the water crisis too, especially in areas with arid climate and/or in some humid monsoonal countries. The overload of aquifers with pollutants derived from agriculture (fertilizers and pesticides), from industry (release of hydrocarbon chemicals, especially spills), from waste and industrial waters, from domestic and industrial landfills, from the infiltration of pollutants from surface and from the intrusion of saline water affect groundwater quality. The dangerous increase in contaminated subsurface sites with chemicals and microbial pathogens brings with it health risks to humans. Changes of redox condition in groundwater zones, changes of biological diversity, vegetation changes with modification of agriculture practices and impacts at the biosphere scale, such as the increase in the concentration of nitrous oxides in the atmosphere, all impact groundwater ecosystems. Groundwater ecosystems must be better investigated and understood. Economic, social and ecological lines of thinking have to be combined in order to achieve meaningful policies for the sustainable development of groundwater reserves and for the protection of subsurface ecosystems. Practical measures and ideas for the development of policies up to the 2025 time-horizon should improve the sustainable usage of the world's groundwater resources.

scholarly journals Coastal Ground Water Flow and Management: A State-of-the-Art Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Industrial Effluents ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fresh Groundwater ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Indiscriminate Disposal ◽  
Groundwater Reserves ◽  
Anthropogenic Intervention

Seawater intrusion has led to salinization of fresh groundwater reserves in coastal areas worldwide and has forced the closure of water supply wells. There is a paucity of well-documented studies that report on the reversal of SWI after the closure of a well field. Saline water from a storm surge can flow down storm-damaged submerged water supply wells and contaminate boreholes and surrounding aquifers. Water is an invaluable commodity in nature and can be a limiting resource to man and other living beings. Water quality is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic intervention where the former includes local climate, geology etc., and the latter covers the construction of dams and embankments, irrigation practices, indiscriminate disposal of industrial effluents etc. Therefore, it is highly desirable to properly manage groundwater resources for drinking-water supply by controlling saltwater intrusion. A cost effective method Abstraction, Desalinization and Recharge was found to be efficient.

Impact of changing rainfall conditions on surface and groundwater resources in an experimental watershed in Greece

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-125
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Regime ◽  
Winter Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Depth ◽  
Rainfall Volume ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Groundwater Reserves ◽  
The Impact

The present study concerns the impact of a change in the rainfall regime on surface and groundwater resources in an experimental watershed. The research is conducted in a gauged mountainous watershed (15.18 km2) that is located on the eastern side of Penteli Mountain, in the prefecture of Attica, Greece and the study period concerns the years from 2003 to 2008. The decrease in the annual rainfall depth during the last two hydrological years 2006-2007, 2007-2008 is 10% and 35%, respectively, in relation to the average of the previous years. In addition, the monthly distribution of rainfall is characterized by a distinct decrease in winter rainfall volume. The field measurements show that this change in rainfall conditions has a direct impact on the surface runoff of the watershed, as well as on the groundwater reserves. The mean annual runoff in the last two hydrological years has decreased by 56% and 75% in relation to the average of the previous years. Moreover, the groundwater level follows a declining trend and has dropped significantly in the last two years.

scholarly journals Hydrogeochemistry and groundwater mixing close to an oil field: an example from Asmari karstic aquifer, Khuzestan, Iran

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Rouhi ◽  
N. Kalantari
Keyword(s):  
Saline Water ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Relative Concentration ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Water Salinity ◽  
Karstic Aquifer ◽  
Volume Percentage ◽  
Bromide Ion

Abstract Both carbonate (as the oil-gas reservoir) and evaporite rocks (as caprock) coexist in the Masjed Soleyman oil field. The Asmari karstic aquifer is formed within Oligo-Miocene carbonate rocks in the south of the oil reservoir. A mixing between fresh karstic groundwater and oil-field brines is to be expected because of underground migration of the brines toward the aquifer. This process can reduce the groundwater quality by both increasing the water salinity and by adding hydrocarbon and sulfur contaminants into the groundwater. Tembi river contains saline water that can affect groundwater resources. Leaking of these brines into the aquifer was distinguished using total dissolved solids, the relative concentration of major elements, bromide ion (as a trace element), total organic carbon, ion ratios, and mixing curve diagrams. The polluted zone was determined by tracking the hydrochemistry changes across the groundwater flow direction. The volume percentage of different water sources in mixed groundwater was calculated and validated using PHREEQC software. The results revealed that the contribution of the oil-field brine in the groundwater is much lower than the salty river brine, but even this low amount has a considerable impact on water quality by increasing water salinity and adding hydrocarbon and sulfur into the groundwater.

scholarly journals Monitoring and risk assessment for groundwater sources in rural communities of Romania (GROUNDWATERISK)

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Teodora Moldovan ◽  
Rannveig Øvrevik Skoglund ◽  
Horia Leonard Banciu ◽  
Alexandra Dinu Cucoș ◽  
Erika Andrea Levei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
The Past ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Groundwater Ecosystems ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Agricultural Areas

In the past 100 years, a decreasing rainfall trend has been recorded on Romanian territory, a trend that continues today. Therefore, realistic estimation of the groundwater resources is crucial, especially for the rural communities lacking the economic power to use alternative sources of drinking water. The groundwater sources used by rural communities in Romania generally originate directly from caves, wells or springs with no proper evaluation of the water quality. Groundwater is exposed to different pollutants, as bats' guano in caves, fertilizers in agricultural areas or livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) farms on the surface. On the other hand, the water extracted directly from inside the caves is affecting groundwater ecosystems, highly vulnerable to any human impact and neglected by European legislation so far. The project aims to monitor, during two consecutive years, groundwater sources with different degrees of above- and underground pollution, from different regions of Romania. To achieve the goals of the project, a multidisciplinary monitoring strategy that will include measurements of hydrological, physico-chemical and biological (microbiology and aquatic invertebrates’ assessment) parameters alongside the quantification of radon and stable isotopes, rainfall or possible inflows of water. The specific outcomes of this project are: i) to test, develop and validate a new, more rapid and efficient method for monitoring and risk assessment of groundwater sources – and not only – by using molecular techniques, and propose this method to the water agencies in Romania; ii) to propose for Romanian authorities to implement a harmonized coherent methodology to measure radon concentration in water, as a consequence of EURATOM Directive; and iii) to educate local communities that are using groundwater as source for drinking water and raise young people’s awareness on the benefits of ecosystem services provided by the groundwater.

Using the molecular composition of dissolved organic matter in groundwater to assess the functional stability of subsurface ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Benk ◽  
Robert Lehmann ◽  
Kai Uwe Totsche ◽  
Gerd Gleixner
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Molecular Composition ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Groundwater Ecosystems ◽  
Dom Composition

<p>With surface systems changing rapidly on a global scale, it is important to understand how this will affect groundwater resources and ecosystems in the subsurface. The molecular composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) integrates essential information on metabolic functioning and could therefore reveal changes of groundwater ecosystems in high detail. Here, we evaluate a 6-year time series of ultrahigh-resolution DOM composition analysis of groundwater from a hillslope well transect within the Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory, Germany. We predict ecosystem functionality by assigning molecular sum formulas to metabolic pathways via the KEGG database. Our data support hydrogeological characterizations of a compartmentalized fractured multi-storey aquifer system and reveal distinct metabolic functions that largely depend on the compartment’s relative surface-connectivity or isolation. We show that seasonal fluctuation of groundwater levels, coinciding with cross-stratal exchange can substantially impact the local inventory of functional metabolites in DOM. Furthermore, we find that extreme conditions of groundwater recharge following pronounced groundwater lowstand cause strong alterations of the functional metabolome in DOM even in aquifer compartments, which usually show minimal variation in DOM composition. Our findings suggest that bedrock groundwater ecosystems might be functionally vulnerable to hydrogeological extremes.</p>

Labour Observatories for Agricultural Policymaking and Sustainable Development

2014 ◽  
pp. 56-63
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Agricultural Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Crop Varieties ◽  
The Right

Assimilation of relevant information within a labour observatory is a key to success of an observatory. Management of such relevant information and its dissemination to the right audience at the right time is also important. In this regard, a labour observatory plays a very important role for successful operationalization of agricultural policies within developing countries. Historical information regarding soil, crop varieties, agricultural practices, and skill of agricultural labourers needs to be maintained by a labour observatory. Information from the observatory has to be communicated to policy makers for making a pragmatic decision in developing countries with large agriculturally dependent populations. These decisions can impact the lives of this population and can impact the sustainable development of these countries. Initiatives related to labour observatory started more than a decade back in developed countries. It has now begun in parts of Africa, too. The chapter highlights these developments and contextualizes the association between these observatories, agricultural policymaking, and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Advances in the Coastal and Submarine Groundwater Processes: Controls and Environmental Impact on the Thriassion Plain and Eleusis Gulf (Attica, Greece)

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 944
Author(s):  
Demetrios Hermides ◽  
Panayota Makri ◽  
George Kontakiotis ◽  
Assimina Antonarakou
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Quaternary Sediments ◽  
Major Goal ◽  
Fresh Groundwater ◽  
Sea Floor ◽  
Actual Mechanism ◽  
New Perspective

This study focuses on the hydrogeological conditions in the coastal (Thriassion plain) and submarine (Eleusis Gulf) environment of West Attica, Greece. Up to now, the predominant aspect for the Thriassion plain groundwater—hosted within the Neogene-Quaternary sediments—was its direct hydraulic contact with the seawater. Due to that, the coastal plain groundwater is strongly believed to be of brackish quality irrespective of the local hydrodynamic conditions. Our major goal is to evaluate the actual mechanism controlling the groundwater flow, the origin and distribution of saline water, and the existence of fresh groundwater in the submarine environment. We summarize the following: (1) groundwater of the Thriassion plain is partly discharged as an upwards leakage from deeper aquifers, (2) modern direct seawater intrusion is not possible in the Neogene-Quaternary sediments, and (3) fresh groundwater possibly exists below the sea floor of the Eleusis Gulf. The results may serve as hint of further research in groundwater resources below the Mediterranean Sea floor, and, consequently, a new perspective on water resource management could emerge.

scholarly journals Glomalin – an interesting protein part of the soil organic matter

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vítězslav Vlček ◽  
Miroslav Pohanka
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Fulvic Acids ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Citrate Buffer

The negative effects of the current agricultural practices include erosion, acidification, loss of soil organic matter (dehumification), loss of soil structure, soil contamination by risky elements, reduction of biological diversity and land use for non-agricultural purposes. All these effects are a huge risk to the further development of soil quality from an agronomic point of view and its resilience to projected climate change. Organic matter has a crucial role in it. Relatively significant correlations with the quality or the health of soil parameters and the soil organic matter or some fraction of the soil organic matter have been found. In particular, Ctot, Cox, humic and fulvic acids, the C/N ratio, and glomalin. Our work was focused on glomalin, a glycoprotein produced by the hyphae and spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which we classify as Glomeromycota. Arbuscular mycorrhiza, and its molecular pathways, is not a well understood phenomenon. It appears that many proteins are involved in the arbuscular mycorrhiza from which glomalin is probably one of the most significant. This protein is also responsible for the unique chemical and physical properties of soils and has an ecological and economical relevance in this sense and it is a real product of the mycorrhiza. Glomalin is very resistant to destruction (recalcitrant) and difficult to dissolve in water. Its extraction requires specific conditions: high temperature (121°C) and a citrate buffer with a neutral or alkaline pH. Due to these properties, glomalin (or its fractions) are very stable compounds that protect the soil aggregate surface. In this review, the actual literature has been researched and the importance of glomalin is discussed.  

scholarly journals Tribal Land Alienation, Agricultural Changes and Food Culture Transition in Attappady

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Edison ◽  
Rugmini Devi
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Tribal Culture ◽  
Holistic Approaches ◽  
Western Ghats Of India ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Tribal Land

This article, based on fieldwork, discusses the negative impacts of land alienation suffered by Adivasis in Attappady, a tribal block of Kerala in South India. Experiencing multiple alienations that have fundamentally affected their way of life, agricultural practices and food culture, tribals not only continue to suffer discriminatory treatment by non-tribal settlers, but also by state authorities’ restrictions of access to local forests and forest produce. These problems assume added significance as this ecologically important location in the Western Ghats of India is one of the eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity in the world, while the traditional guardians of this environment have been completely disempowered. The article traces abuses of power in land alienation processes, analyses unequal power structures and argues that better appreciation of traditional tribal culture and its ecologically holistic approaches ought to inform policies for local sustainable development. This would help the tribals to safeguard their identity within the constraints of current conditions and enhance the prospects for sustainable preservation of the precious local natural resources and biodiversity.

A systematic literature review and analysis towards developing PPP models for delivering smart infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nimesha Sahani Jayasena ◽  
Daniel W.M. Chan ◽  
Mohan Kumaraswamy
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Review ◽  
Smart Infrastructure

PurposeRising human aspirations leading to rapid urbanisation, amidst climate changes and other environmental pressures have aggravated the needs for better-focused sustainable urban development in general as well as for smart and sustainable cities in particular. Indeed, smart infrastructure (SI) development is a prerequisite for smart cities (SCs). However, inadequate funding and expertise for such SI development pose profound challenges that may be partially addressed by mobilising private finance and efficiencies through collaborative public–private partnership (PPP) models. This paper provides a holistic review and analysis of the relevant literature, as a basis for proposing such PPP models for developing SI.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review helped to fulfil the aim of this paper in the first phase of the underlying longer-term study. Authoritative search engines like Scopus and Web of Science indexed articles were reviewed and analysed, 85% of these being journal articles.FindingsSCs that necessarily include SI are important in overcoming current urban challenges in developing and developed countries. Given shortfalls in traditional procurement and funding models, special PPP models are required for SI development. After identifying the relevant needs, drivers, barriers and challenges in different countries, a general indicative framework is developed to illustrate how the various interacting force fields can be harnessed to develop the envisaged PPP models that can complement non-PPP procurement models.Originality/valuePPP for SI development is a relatively new, hence, under-researched topic. This desktop review and analysis provide a useful launching pad for the development of SI through overcoming the potential challenges in traditional procurement and financial models.

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