Water is life. Nothing can exist without water!
Imagine:
What would happen if you stay for one day without drinking water?
What if you don't take shower for one week?
What if you don't wash your hands after a meal?
What if there's no water in your toilets?
What if you don't have water at home for cooking?
What if it doesn't rain for one whole year?
What if the temperature is 44oC and you have no water at all?
...
You see... our lives are totally based on water.
This precious resource can be found in two main reservoirs:
1. Surface water resource reservoirs
2. Groundwater reservoirs (aquifers)
I believe that groundwater is the future of the world. Surface water is exposed to contamination. And, the extent of contaminants will increase with the expansion of the modern and industrial world.
So, do we all know that aquifers are like bank accounts where we can save groundwater for our future use? Are we managing these bank accounts (aquifers) well? Is the change in climate affecting groundwater resources? What management mechanisms should we use for a better future? Where are we?
Generally, the water cycle is a climate driven process. Consequently, any change in climate will affect both the availability, quality and quantity of water. It has been establish that groundwater and surface water interacts. This implies that changes in surface water resource will also affect changes in ground water resource.
However, in spite of this brazen fact the groundwater resource is not being managed properly. There are so many uncontrolled and unacceptable borehole drilling projects in many parts of the world. Although it is difficult to blame the developers of such borehole because the public water supply scheme is not working in many cities, policy makers need to go to work to institute policies that will regulate the drilling of water boreholes. The current practice where borehole are drilled without control is endangering the quality of the only source of potable water supply to many homes and families.
Yes, climate change is heavily affecting the groundwater resources accompanied with urbanization and population growth are adding more stress on the resource.
The urbanization trends have decreased the available surface area for groundwater recharge and ultimately more than 90% of rain water water is wasted as a surface run-off. Hence we are failing to replenish our underground water system. We are doing a great injustice with the resource and our generations to come.
The avalaibility of water depends on both the climate - driven global water cycle and on society"s ability to manage, store, and conserve water resources. Climate change is affecting both the quantity and quality of.......Changes to our water resources affect many sectors, including energy production, infrastructural , agriculture etc. To manage a groundwater system for long term sustainability you need to be able to quantify how climate variability and change will impact on recharge and demand. Water managers need to balance demands against resource availability and services provided to the environment. For details consult https://www.nap.edu --read :;; https://www.csiro.au --water - resources
Sylvester Peter Antai
Thank you very much. I agree with you. And, that's what we should do. Thanks for sharing the sites as well.
Generally, the water cycle is a climate driven process. Consequently, any change in climate will affect both the availability, quality and quantity of water. It has been establish that groundwater and surface water interacts. This implies that changes in surface water resource will also affect changes in ground water resource.
However, in spite of this brazen fact the groundwater resource is not being managed properly. There are so many uncontrolled and unacceptable borehole drilling projects in many parts of the world. Although it is difficult to blame the developers of such borehole because the public water supply scheme is not working in many cities, policy makers need to go to work to institute policies that will regulate the drilling of water boreholes. The current practice where borehole are drilled without control is endangering the quality of the only source of potable water supply to many homes and families.
It's quite obvious that the scientific community can and should do much more than the current contributions in groundwater management. However, I also believe that the decision makers should also involve on the matter intensively for a better future. So, what do you think the decision makers should exactly do for a proper groundwater management? How should we integrate the contributions from the scientific community, the public and the decision makers to manage groundwater in a better way?
Yes, the changing climate is affecting the rate of recharge of aquifers. Climate changes which is evident in increased variability in precipitation, soil moisture and surface water is evident even in Sub-saharan Africa. Extremes effects of climate change have resulted in drought and flood challenges.
For more information read the attached article.
Climate change is a natural regulator of groundwater table. besides, it is a driver that determines the interaction between surface and groundwater. Therefore, climate change is a determining factor in the supply of groundwater in an area.
In Indian context, the MOST IMPORTANT is wastage of underground water.
We can not show luxury of using underground water in whole winter agriculture and following western lifestyle of wasting water for bathing, cleaning, flush toilet etc. by 140 crore people!
But such IDIOTIC and self-destructive measures are advised to our countrymen!
To assess the impacts of potential climate change on fresh groundwater resources, we should focus on changes in groundwater recharge and sea level rise on the loss of fresh groundwater resources in water resources stressed coastal aquifers.Impact of climate change on the ground water regime is expected to be severe.
Check these published papers:
Conference Paper Impact of Climate Change on Groundwater Resources
https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/12/10109/2015/hessd-12-10109-2015.pdf
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/10.1108/17568690910977465
Climate change is affecting groundwater resources because global warming. Another one important problem is plastic pollution reduce ground groundwater.
Its a combination of climate change reducing water supply and populations getting more dense thus increasing demand. In the Miami Florida area the aquifers are being "contaminated' by salt water penetration. In California the rate at which water is being drawn from the aquifers is much faster than the water is resupplied . In both cases the precipitation has been reduced in recent years (climate change) and is causing scarcity.
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