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

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.

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

Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽

10.1007/s40899-021-00576-y ◽

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.

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Management and protection of groundwater resources in semi-arid zones: application of hydrochemical methodologies to Essaouira Synclinal Basin, Morocco

International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology ◽

10.1504/ijhst.2013.057627 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 160

Author(s):

Mohammed Bahir ◽

Rachid El Moukhayar ◽

Nasreddine Youbi ◽

Hamid Chamchati ◽

Najiba Chkir Ben Jemaa

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Resources ◽

Arid Zones ◽

Semi Arid

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

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-20988 ◽

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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Cactaceae: uses and knowledge of rural communities in the semi-arid zones of Cucaita, Ráquira and Villa de Leyva (Boyacá, Colombia)

10.1101/2020.12.08.416065 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniela Porras–Flórez ◽

Sofía Albesiano ◽

Kendry Hernández–Herrera ◽

Nubia Gómez–Velázco ◽

Leopoldo Arrieta–Violet

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Educational Level ◽

Large Scale ◽

Arid Zones ◽

Arid Areas ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The Family ◽

Large Scale Cultivation ◽

Semi Arid

AbstractTaxa of the family Cactaceae presents morphological and reproductive characteristics, which are used by rural communities in arid and semi-arid areas, for food, medicinal and ornamental purposes. The objectives were to identify the most used species and to relate the socioeconomic factors of the informants with their knowledge of the species. To this end, 262 semi-structured interviews were applied, with questions such as name, age, gender, educational level, source of employment, among others; eight categories of use were established: agro-ecological, agricultural, commercial, environmental service, food, medicinal, ornamental and technological; three indexes were calculated, relative importance, the value of use for each of the species and wealth of knowledge of the interviewees. Nine species are reported, from which eight are used as food and ornamental, standing out Opuntia ficus-indica for its diversity of uses, while Cylindropuntia tunicata does not report any utility. Variables such as age and residence time showed a significant relationship with the number of plants used by the interviewees. It is expected to contribute to the preservation of cacti, local knowledge and encourage large-scale cultivation since species such as Mammillaria columbiana, Melocactus andinus, and Melocactus curvispinus are being used in an unsustainable way, which could cause their local extinction.

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Cultivation of Desert Truffles—A Crop Suitable for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11081462 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1462

Author(s):

Asuncion Morte ◽

Varda Kagan-Zur ◽

Alfonso Navarro-Ródenas ◽

Yaron Sitrit

Keyword(s):

Arid Zones ◽

Arid Areas ◽

Mineral Contents ◽

New Crops ◽

Ph Values ◽

Planting Methods ◽

Below Ground ◽

Medicinal Properties ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Desert Truffles

Desert truffles are edible hypogeous (forming fruit bodies below ground) fungi that grow in semi-arid and arid areas. They are highly valued for both their culinary and medicinal properties in the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and the Gulf areas. Desert truffles form mycorrhizae mostly with plants belonging to the Cistaceae family, mainly with Helianthemum species. These truffles are still, usually, collected from the wild, but loss of habitats due to urbanization, desertification, intensive agriculture and global warming, along with an urgent need to develop new crops adapted to arid conditions, are currently hastening efforts towards their domestication. Here, we sum up the successful research leading to cultivation of this crop, based on plots that were established in sandy to silt soils with high pH values and low mineral contents. We report suitable methods for production of mycorrhized seedlings and preferred planting methods. We found that under natural conditions yields are affected by water availability, so irrigation regimes to ensure good yields were sought. Although good yields were indeed obtained in some years, fluctuations in yields over the years were significant; the reasons for this are not entirely clear and are currently under study. This crop is particularly well suited to relatively marginal conditions but prospects for establishment of desert truffles as a niche crop for arid and semi-arid areas depend on further improvements in yields.

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