scholarly journals Integrated Assessment of Groundwater Potential Using Geospatial Techniques in Southern Africa: A Case Study in the Zambezi River Basin

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 2610
Author(s):  
George Z. Ndhlovu ◽  
Yali E. Woyessa

Groundwater resources are largely used in rural communities of river basins due to their acceptable water quality and reliability for domestic purposes where little or no treatment is required. However, groundwater resources have been affected by changes in land use, mining activities, agricultural practices, industrial effluent, and urbanisation among anthropogenic influences while climate change impacts and volcanic eruptions have affected its involvement among the natural phenomena. The purpose of the study was to assess groundwater potential in the basin with the use of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), remote sensing, GIS techniques, and groundwater occurrence and movement influencing factors. These factors were used to produce seven thematic maps, which were then assigned weights and scale using an AHP tool, based on their degree of influence on groundwater occurrence and movement. A weighted groundwater potential map was produced with four zones denoted as 0.4% (317 km2) for very good potential; 27% (19,170 km2) for good potential; 61% (43,961 km2) for moderate potential and 12% (8639 km2) for poor potential. Validation, using existing boreholes, showed that 89% were overlain on moderate to very good potential zones and henceforth considered to be a novel approach which is useful for groundwater resources assessment and integrated water management in the basin.

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javed Mallick ◽  
Roohul Abad Khan ◽  
Mohd Ahmed ◽  
Saeed Dhafer Alqadhi ◽  
Majed Alsubih ◽  
...  

Saudi Arabia’s arid and semi-arid regions suffer from water scarcity because of climatic constraints and rapid growth of domestic and industrial water uses. The growing demand for high-quality water supplies and to reduce the dependency on desalination creates an urgent need to explore groundwater resources as an alternative. The weighted overlay analysis method using the fuzzy-analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques combined with geoinformation technology was used in this study to explore the groundwater potential zones in the Itwad-Khamis watershed of Saudi Arabia. Twelve thematic layers were prepared and processed in a GIS setting to produce the groundwater potential zone map (GPZM). Subsequently, potential groundwater areas were delineated and drawn into five classes: very good potential, good potential, moderate potential, poor potential, and very poor potential. The estimated GWPZ (groundwater potential zones) was validated by analyzing the existing open wells distribution and the yield data of selected wells within the studied watershed. With this quality-based zoning, it was found that 82% of existing wells were located in a very good and good potential area. The statistical analysis showed that 14.6% and 28.8% of the total area were under very good and good, while 27.3% and 20.2% were accounted for the moderate and poor potential zone, respectively. To achieve sustainable groundwater management in the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia, this research provided a primary estimate and significant insights for local water managers and authorities by providing groundwater potential zone map.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaishnavi Mundalik ◽  
Clinton Fernandes ◽  
Ajaykumar Kadam ◽  
Bhavana Umrikar

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water in rural parts of India. Because of the increasing demand for water, it is essential to identify new sources for the sustainable development of this resource. The potential mapping and exploration of groundwater resources have become a breakthrough in the field of hydrogeological research. In the present paper, a groundwater prospects map is delineated for the assessment of groundwater availability in Kar basin on basaltic terrain, using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Various thematic layers such as geology, slope, soil, geomorphology, drainage density and rainfall are prepared using satellite data, topographic maps and field data. The ranks and weights were assigned to each thematic layer and various categories of those thematic layers using AHP technique respectively. Further, a weighted overlay analysis was performed by reclassifying them in the GIS environment to prepare the groundwater potential map of the study area. The results show that groundwater prospects map classified into three classes low, moderate and high having area 17.12%, 38.26%, 44.62%, respectively. The overlay map with the groundwater potential zones in the study area has been found to be helpful for better planning and managing the resources.


Author(s):  
Paul Kraehling

The discussion will highlight results of recent PhD research examining the use of nature/natural systems by rural leaders in furthering their individual community interests for conditions of health/wellness, resiliency and sustainability. The research was completed using a qualitative mixed methods case study approach within a diversity of municipality settings across southern Ontario. The research examines how community planning with a diversity of GI elements is being implemented, e.g. strategic plans, plans for landscape scaled storm water management, tree planting systems, wildlife area enhancements. A further examination is made on the utility of a holistic planning model combining community greygreen infrastructures in a foundational framework for rural places. Many of the problems facing rural communities such as socio-economic challenges and climate change impacts can be addressed using the untapped natural asset features that are found within all rural areas.


10.29007/kdpc ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Mostafa Mohamed

Despite the continuous increase in water supply from desalination plants in the UAE, groundwater remains the major source of fresh water satisfying domestic and agricultural demands. Additionally, groundwater has always been considered as a strategic water source towards groundwater security in the country. Quantification of groundwater recharge is a prerequisite for efficient and sustainable groundwater resources management in arid regions. Therefore, groundwater recharge from the ephemeral Wadi beds and subsurface flow from mountainous valley beds play an important role in water management. Although, both surface and groundwater resources in UAE are scarce; the anticipated climate change impacts could make these resources even scarcer. As such, the main aim of this paper is to assess the potential impacts of future climate variability and change on groundwater recharge in the eastern region of UAE. This paper will explore rainfall characteristics in the region, their projections and their impacts on Wadi hydrology and groundwater recharge processes. Another objective of the study is to identify groundwater recharge regions to the shallow unconfined groundwater aquifer in the northeastern part of Abu-Dhabi Emirate. Outcomes of this study will help to accurately estimate current and future sustainable extraction rates, assess groundwater availability, and identify pathways and velocity of groundwater flow as crucial information for determining the best locations for artificial recharge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Teodora Moldovan ◽  
Rannveig Øvrevik Skoglund ◽  
Horia Leonard Banciu ◽  
Alexandra Dinu Cucoș ◽  
Erika Andrea Levei ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Saha ◽  
Amiya Gayen ◽  
Kaustuv Mukherjee ◽  
Hamid Reza Pourghasemi ◽  
M. Santosh

Abstract Machine learning techniques offer powerful tools for the assessment and management of groundwater resources. Here, we evaluated the groundwater potential maps (GWPMs) in Md. Bazar Block of Birbhum District, India using four GIS-based machine-learning algorithms (MLA) such as predictive neural network (PNN), decision tree (DT), Naïve Bayes classifier (NBC), and random forest (RF). We used a database of 85 dug wells and one piezometer location identified using extensive field study, and employed 12 influencing factors (elevation, slope, drainage density (DD), topographical wetness index, geomorphology, lineament density, rainfall, geology, pond density, land use/land cover (LULC), geology, and soil texture) for evaluation through GIS. The 85 dug wells and 1 piezometer locations were sub-divided into two classes: 70:30 for training and model validation. The DT, RF, PNN, and NBC MLAs were implemented to analyse the relationship between the dug well locations and groundwater influencing factors to generate GWPMs. The results predict excellent groundwater potential areas (GPA) DT RF of 17.38%, 14.69%, 20.43%, and 13.97% of the study area, respectively. The prediction accuracy of each GWPM was determined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Using the 30% data sets (validation data), accuracies of 80.1%, 78.30%, 75.20%, and 69.2% were obtained for the PNN, RF, DT, and NBC models, respectively. The ROC values show that the four implemented models provide satisfactory and suitable results for GWP mapping in this region. In addition, the well-known mean decrease Gini (MDG) from the RF MLA was implemented to determine the relative importance of the variables for groundwater potentiality assessment. The MDG revealed that drainage density, lineament density, geomorphology, pond density, elevation, and stream junction frequency were the most useful determinants of GWPM. Our approach to delineate the GWPM can aid in the effective planning and management of groundwater resources in this region.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 13-22
Author(s):  
Ajgaonkar Swanand ◽  
S. Manjunatha

Groundwater research has evolved tremendously as presently it is the need of society. Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) are the main methods in finding the potential zones for the groundwater. They help in assessing, exploring, monitoring and conserving groundwater resources. A case study was conducted to find the groundwater potential zones in Lingasugur taluk, Raichur District, Karnataka State, India. Ten thematic maps were prepared for the study area such as geology, hydrogeomorphology, land use/ land cover, soil type, NDVI, NDWI, slope map, lineament density, rainfall and drainage density. A weighted overlay superimposed method was used after converting all the thematic maps in raster format. Thus from analysis, the classes in groundwater potential were made as very good, moderate, poor and very poor zones covering an area of 10.1 sq.km., 169.25 sq.km., 1732.31 sq.km. and 53.66 sq.km. respectively. By taking the present study into consideration, the future plans for urbanization, recharge structures and groundwater exploration sites can be decided.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 520-534
Author(s):  
Ayodele Kehinde Olawuyi

Hydrogeophysical study involving the use of Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) was carried out in part of the basement complex rocks of Ilorin, central Nigeria, with the aim of determining its geoelectric parameters and groundwater potential. A total of thirty (30) VES were carried out using Schlumberger electrode configuration, with half electrode separation (AB/2) varying from 1m to 100m. Information on the subsurface lithologies, overburden thickness and aquiferous layers were obtained from the different VES locations in the study area. From the quantitative interpretations of the data collected, using the method of curve matching with the Orellana-Mooney master curves and 1-D forward modeling with WinResist 1.0 version software, three to five lithologic units were identified in the study. These include: the topsoil, sandy/lateritic clay/laterite, the weathered basement, the fractured basement and the fresh bedrock which are predominantly of the ‘KH’ curve type (30%), followed by ‘H’ type (26.7%), other type curves include ‘QH’ (16.7%), ‘HKH’, ‘HA’ and ‘A’ (6.7% each) and KQ and KQH (3.3% each). The weathered layer and the fractured basement constitute the main aquifer units. The aquifers are of generally low resistivity values (mostly below 100 Ω-m). The depths to dry bedrock at the chosen VES locations vary from 2.7 to 62.7 m with a mean value of 13.02 m in the study area. The geoelectrical interpretations of data obtained in these areas have permitted the delineation of the study area into low and moderate groundwater potential zones. This study is expected to assist in future planning for groundwater resources. Keywords: Hydrogeophysical, Basement Complex, Groundwater, Electrical Soundings, Weathered, Fractured


2022 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Kiakisiki Quaresma Nascimento ◽  
Maria Raquel Raquel Lucas ◽  
Pedro Damião Henriques

Since 2016, STP has been funding the implementation of greenhouses, viewed as a viable way to guarantee, increase, and diversify production; supply the market; improve farmers' incomes; and mitigate climate change impacts. The greenhouses in selected districts were based on farmers' experiences in horticultural production, available agricultural area, and capacity of rural communities to organize themselves into small farmers' cooperatives. There are also private greenhouse initiatives. This chapter analyzed the current situation of the STP greenhouse project and its socioeconomic contribution to rural communities, proposing actions for its improvement, addressing climate changes and poverty reduction. Despite several weaknesses, mainly linked to lack of knowledge and mastery of technology, greenhouse production represents a viable alternative for horticulture development. Greenhouses, properly exploited, are a mechanism to mitigate climate change effects and ensure an increase in income and consequently reduce poverty and improve individual and collective living conditions.


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