Groundwater Management for Sustainable Development of Urban and Rural Areas in Extremely Arid Regions: A Case Study

In Saudi Arabia, the recharge to local and regional aquifers is mostly indirect, very limited and insignificant, especially with low annual precipitation. Most of the stored groundwater in local and regional aquifers is non-renewable fossil water. With rapid socio-economic developments and increasing population coupled with agricultural and industrial growth in the Kingdom, especially after the large increase in oil revenues after 1974, the water demands have increased drastically. By understanding the aquifer features, the country followed a planned approach based on controlling aquifer development and demand management to use its groundwater resources. The socio-economic developments in rural areas have been very pronounced. Corrective demand management measures including reduction in cultivated areas and modification in agricultural support policies in addition to the augmentation of water supplies by the reuse of treated wastewater have reduced the stress on groundwater. The establishment of a special Ministry for water and the adoption of a national water planning approach and the use of an integrated water resources management tool are expected to contribute effectively to the achievement of sustainable groundwater resources and the national interest of the country.     

Groundwater Rise Problem and Risk Evaluation in Major Cities of Arid Lands – Jedddah Case in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Arid lands are in the need of additional water supply but water transportation from outside of the natural hydrological cycle causes the groundwater to rise within the urban areas. Additional water supply from surrounding areas or through the desalination plants provides comfort in domestic activities but after the usage, its disposition is necessary in an efficient manner. Unfortunately, arid region cities have neither sufficient nor efficient sewage system. Consequently, the water returned to surface cesspools and leakages from insufficient sewage system makes internal groundwater recharge within the urban area. Additionally, water supply system leakages further raise the groundwater level. Deterioration in water quality becomes a potential danger for the infrastructure and foundations. Surface depressions in the city may be flooded due to groundwater level rise and at times bed smells occur at various parts of the city. In this paper, a quantitative method is followed to assess groundwater level rise risks in addition to the few chemical risks associated with sulfate and chloride solids. It is observed that each one of these variables has different probability distribution function and expose risk maps with different features.     

Assessing Groundwater Geospatial Variation Using Microgravity Investigation in the Arid Riyadh Metropolitan Area,Saudi Arabia: a Case Study

A combination of relative microgravity measurements at ground surface, and depth to water and water table measurements from adjacent wells were used to estimate geospatial variation of groundwater. A highly accurate portable Grav-Map gravimeter was used for gravimetric measurements at locations nearby a 42 well water table monitoring program. To efficiently correlate the two data sets, wells were clustered into five groups by geological unit and water saturation. Microgravity data was processed, interpreted, and correlated with both the depths to groundwater and the water table levels. Regression analyses revealed a strong negative correlation for microgravity and depth to groundwater in all five clusters; correlation coefficients varied between 0.70 and 0.97, and measured 0.78 over the entire study area. Microgravity values increased as groundwater depth decreased, likely because rising groundwater fills voids and fractures within soil and rocks, increasing rock density and therefore relative gravity. To validate the correlation, we superimposed a map of depths to water on the first derivative of microgravity measurements. The shallowest groundwater depths were positively related to the zero first derivatives, having intersection areas within a 75 % significance interval. Negative first derivatives covered the rest of the study area, with relative gravity decreasing with increasing groundwater depth. This technique can precisely and efficiently determine changes in subsurface geology and geospatial changes in depths to the groundwater table. Distances between microgravity stations should be small, to better detect small changes in gravity values, reflecting density contrasts underground.     

Management of Groundwater Resources in Eastern Saudi Arabia

Effective management of groundwater in arid countries, such as Saudi Arabia, is an important factor in sustainable development. A regional numerical simulation model of a multi-aquifer system including the Dammam and Umm Er Radhuma (UER) aquifers was developed to assess the behaviour of the aquifer system under long-term water stresses. The model was utilized to predict the responses of the aquifer system under three alternative pumping schemes over a planning horizon of 31 years (1995-2025). Model results postulate that dewatering of the Dammam aquifer will occur at low productivity sites and along the outcrop with the current trend towards increasing abstraction. The UER will exhibit significant cones of depression at large irrigation projects. Aquifer dewatering and drawdowns will be minimal with the conservation alternative. This management scheme should be adopted for the future development and protection of groundwater in the province.     

Groundwater Risk Management Assessment in Arid Regions

Wadis are arid region drainage basins, mostly in the Quaternary depositions of different facies and grain size distributions depending on the paleogeologic environmental processes. Random and heterogeneous setup of the subsurface geological layer composition gives rather independent, haphazard and different aquifer numerical properties even along short distances. The aquifer storativity and transmissivity estimations from a set of wells provide spatial variability feature that can be captured by probability and statistical methodologies leading to risk assessment. Three methodologies are employed for the uncertainty assessments in this paper. The heterogeneity can be treated either through deterministic formulations by a set of assumptions or by statistical and probabilistic approaches giving way to risk assessments. They are the classical deterministic approach, statistical procedure that takes into consideration arithmetic average, standard deviation and correlation coefficient of hydrogeological variables and finally the probabilistic method with risk attachments. The first approach depends on the constant aquifer parameters or their arithmetic averages only. The second procedure considers the deviations (perturbations) from the arithmetic average and then various statistical parameters enter into the calculations. Finally, the last method considers the probability distribution function (pdf) of each hydrologic variable and their composition through specific groundwater storage capacity equation with risk levels at 10?% 25?%, 50?%, 75?%, 90?% and 95?%. The application of the methodology is presented for wadi Fatimah that lies in the central western part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.     

Energy and Water in Arid Developing Countries: Saudi Arabia,a Case-study

In Saudi Arabia, where water resources are limited, the availability of energy resources, including petroleum, natural gas and electricity, helped in solving the challenge of satisfying rapid and substantial increases in water demand for drinking and industrial and agricultural purposes. Thirty-five major dual-purpose multi-stage flash distillation (MSF) and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants were constructed on the Red Sea and Gulf coast to produce drinking water. The process energy requirements for MSF and RO range between 19.5 and 38 kWh/m3, and 0.5 and 9 kWh/m3, respectively. The MSF plants produce about 20% of the total national electricity production. About 85 000 wells were drilled to satisfy the increasing irrigation water demands. The energy requirements to pump 1 m3 from wells range between 0.4 and 0.8 kWh. The adoption of advanced technologies is continuing to reduce power consumption and water demand to conserve energy and water, and to minimize negative impacts on the environment.     

Simulation-Optimization Modeling for Sustainable Groundwater Development: A Moroccan Coastal Aquifer Case Study

A transient simulation model characterizing groundwater flow in the coastal aquifer of Rhis-Nekor was constructed and calibrated. The flow model was then used in conjunction with a genetic algorithm based optimization model to explore the optimal pumping schemes that meet current and future water demands while minimizing the risks for several adverse environmental impacts, such as saltwater intrusion prevention, avoiding excessive drawdown, as well as controlling waterlogging and salinity problems. Modeling results demonstrate the importance of this combined simulation-optimization methodology for solving groundwater management problems associated with the Rhis-Nekor plain.     

Sustainable Groundwater Management in the Arid Southwestern US: Coachella Valley,California

Sustainable groundwater management requires approaches to assess the influence of climate and management actions on the evolution of groundwater systems. Traditional approaches that apply continuity to assess groundwater sustainability fail to capture the spatial variability of aquifer responses. To address this gap, our study evaluates groundwater elevation data from the Coachella Valley, California, within a groundwater sustainability framework given the adoption of integrative management strategies in the valley. Our study details an innovative approach employing traditional statistical methods to improve understanding of aquifer responses. In this analysis, we evaluate trends at individual groundwater observation wells and regional groundwater behaviors using field significance. Regional elevation trends identified no significant trends during periods of intense groundwater replenishment, active since 1973, despite spatial variability in individual well trends. Our results illustrate the spatially limited effects of groundwater replenishment occur against a setting of long-term groundwater depletion, raising concerns over the definition of sustainable groundwater management in aquifer systems employing integrative management strategies.

     

Groundwater Vulnerability and the Reuse of Water,with Reference to Saudi Arabia

It is noted that an integrated water supply system incorporating surface water, groundwater and recycled water is essential and that in the definition of groundwater resources consideration should be given to the inclusion of some brackish and saline waters. The abstraction of groundwater in Saudi Arabia, irrespective of quality, is a mining operation so that increasing emphasis will need to be placed on desalinization and the recycling of sewage and industrial waste waters. Aspects of the reuse of such waters are discussed with respect to aquifer protection and aquifer value as a storage medium.     

Sustainable Development through Groundwater Management: A Case Study on the Barind Tract

Since its birth in 1985, the Barind Multi-purpose Development Project (BMDP) has become a model of a sustainable rural development project in Bangladesh. The project maintains technical soundness by ensuring a high level of water use efficiency and a minimum well spacing. The project runs on full operating and maintenance cost recovery basis, which is achieved through an innovative prepaid water coupon system and the associated command area development scheme. Its governance structure is democratic and participatory. The project has several environmental enhancement programmes such as water conservation, homestead and social forestry, promotion of integrated pest control, and farmers' training. In addition, it has adopted an integrated planning approach that incorporates extending rural electrification, building rural infrastructure and an array of other support programmes. As a result, the BMDP has emerged as a model of sustainable groundwater-based rural development initiative in Bangladesh.     

运城地区地下水可持续开发利用的问题及对策

根据山西省运城地区地下水超量开采引起的一系列环境地质问题以及工业废水、生活污水对地下水的污染状况 ,基于可持续发展思想 ,提出加强沿黄地下水水源地的建设开发 ,加大节水灌溉设施建设资金的投入 ,调整开采层位 ,对地下水资源合理定价 ,严格控制工业废水及生活污水对地下水资源的污染等一系列对策措施     

淮北市地下水资源可持续利用

介绍了淮北市水环境基本情况,分析了该市的水资源利用现状及目前存在问题,包括地下水利用不合理、水污染导致生态环境恶化、水资源浪费严重及监管水平低下,最后提出对策有效利用水资源来保障淮北市经济社会可持续发展。     

Water-saving strategies for irrigation agriculture in Saudi Arabia

Agriculture policy changes in Saudi Arabia are investigated by water footprint (WF) assessment. WF is calculated with the model SPARE:WATER for 3758 irrigated sites. The WF of agriculture areas (WF_area, km³ yr^?1) has decreased (–17%) since the year 2000 to 13.84 km³ yr^?1 (2011), which is mainly caused by the reduction of cropland by –33%. Nevertheless, water consumption per field has increased about 16%, which can be attributed to the cultivation of fodder crops (+12%). A scenario analysis revealed that a shifting cropping pattern towards less fodder crops reduces WF_area by –15%, and implementing improved irrigation technology leads to a combined reduction of up to 32%     

Treated wastewater use in Saudi Arabia: challenges and initiatives

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia considers treated wastewater a major water source and aims to achieve 100% use of treated wastewater by 2025. This article reviews Saudi Arabia’s treated wastewater utilization status to date. It also highlights the key challenges facing the authorities, such as the substantial growth in demand for wastewater services; low coverage of the existing wastewater collection, treatment, and treated wastewater use systems; and the capital investment needed for infrastructure development. Finally, the article highlights the initiatives taken thus far to tackle these challenges and recommends further initiatives towards successful achievement of Saudi Arabia’s treated wastewater utilization objective.     

Comparative Study of Hybrid-Wavelet Artificial Intelligence Models for Monthly Groundwater Depth Forecasting in Extreme Arid Regions,Northwest China

Prediction of groundwater depth (GWD) is a critical task in water resources management. In this study, the practicability of predicting GWD for lead times of 1, 2 and 3 months for 3 observation wells in the Ejina Basin using the wavelet-artificial neural network (WA-ANN) and wavelet-support vector regression (WA-SVR) is demonstrated. Discrete wavelet transform was applied to decompose groundwater depth and meteorological inputs into approximations and detail with predictive features embedded in high frequency and low frequency. WA-ANN and WA-SVR relative of ANN and SVR were evaluated with coefficient of correlation (R), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NS), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean squared error (RMSE). Results showed that WA-ANN and WA-SVR have better performance than ANN and SVR models. WA-SVR yielded better results than WA-ANN model for 1, 2 and 3-month lead times. The study indicates that WA-SVR could be applied for groundwater forecasting under ecological water conveyance conditions.     

山西省地下水资源可持续利用研究

本文在可持续发展战略的指导下，讨论了山西省地下水资源可持续开发利用的原则，论述了全省地下水开发利用现状及水环境问题，分析了地下水的开发利用潜力，并提出了地下水资源可持续开发利用应采取的对策与措施。     

A Spatial Non-Stationary Based Site Selection of Artificial Groundwater Recharge: a Case Study for Semi-Arid Regions

Water Resources Management - In this study, a methodology was developed for AGR assessment, including site selection, non-stationary kriging, numerical modeling, and the long-term supply and demand...     

Optimal Agricultural Water Allocation for the Sustainable Development of Surface and Groundwater Resources

This paper presents a multiobjective linear program for the optimal allocation of water resources among various crops in a large canal command area of Pakistan. The available surface water in the canal cannot meet the net irrigation requirement (NIR) of various crops, which leads to the overexploitation of groundwater and causes salinity problems. Therefore, an optimal water allocation model was formulated using the simultaneous compromise constraint (SICCON) technique for the sustainable development of surface water and groundwater. Three (03) single objective functions (OFs) and a multiobjective function (MOF) were considered in this study. The MOF combines the single OFs by developing an arrangement among them to both maximize the satisfaction rate for surface water (SR_s) and net economic returns (NER) and minimize the salinity problems. The available surface water (AW) of 1531 Mm³ was allocated among various crops, i.e., wheat, cotton, sugarcane, rice, onion, and sunflower, using the SICCON technique, and the deficit was accounted for with groundwater reserves. The model results showed an average increase of 22% in SR_s and 7.2 million USD in NER_s from surface water allocation compared to the current water allocation practice. Moreover, the salinity levels of the allocated water exceed the threshold limits of onion, sugarcane, and rice crops in the current water allocation system and thereby negatively impact agricultural production. Hence, the model used in this study may support decision-makers in the optimal selection of different crops to be irrigated to maximize the SR_s and NER_s and minimize salinity problems.

     

Water demand versus supply in Saudi Arabia: current and future challenges

Saudi Arabia is facing a chronic water-shortage problem. Demand far exceeds the sustainable yield of both conventional and non-conventional water resources. The resulting demand–supply gap is being bridged through groundwater depletion. In this paper, demand–supply gaps for the coming 20 years are projected under three scenarios: optimistic, moderate and pessimistic. Future sustainable water yields are calculated and allocated to projected water demand in the domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors. The study shows that Saudi Arabia will not be able to bridge the demand–supply gap in the near future. Intensive water demand management measures are needed in all sectors to minimize future demand–supply gaps, especially focused on the largest water consumer: the agricultural sector.