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This paper looks at the potential implications of land use and climate change for replenishment of the five aquifers which lie beneath the Upper Guadiana catchment in central Spain. The impacts of scenarios for climate and land use change on groundwater recharge are explored using a physically based hydrological model. (Research is the downward flux of water from the base of the root zone, beyond which water is no longer available for evapotranspiration and forms part of the groundwater resource.) The model is integrated for a series of climate change scenarios spanning the range of predictions from general circulation models. Aquifer replenishment through recharge from the main four cover types is examined for each scenario and the implications for groundwater resources are examined. These climate scenarios are then coupled with a scenario for change in irrigated land use in the Guadiana derived from a cellular automata model based on historical change. The implications of coupled climate and land use change are discussed. The results indicate that current climatic variability has greater impacts on groundwater recharge than a number of extreme scenarios for climatic change. Although the impact of the land use change scenario is greater than that of the climate change scenarios, it is still significantly less than current vairability and represents a relatively small change at the catchment scale. This change is too small to significantly affect groundwater resources but may impact surface flows.

There have been many positive recent developments in the groundwater legislation and policies of the 15 European Community member States (excluding Luxembourg), as the States recognise the importance of implementing the EC Groundwater Directive, The Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Directive and other relevant EC directives. All member States recognise the importance of protecting groundwater and most have enacted legislation and/or established policies to do so. However, there are significant variations in their approaches; these variations are reflected in their approaches to site registration and classification schemes. Similarly, some member States do not yet have policies that specify explicit risk assessment procedures, while others have formal risk assessment procedures in place for registering, classifying and prioritising sites.

Suggests a spatial conjunctive use model of an irrigation project in which the utility invest optimally for the water distribution system and charge farmers the shadow price of surface and groundwater. Seepage from the irrigation canal and on the field are assumed to recharge the groundwater aquifer. Particular attention was given to the effects of conveyance on the allocation of both surface and groundwater resources and the distribution of rents. An empirical model indicated that higher conveyance costs skew the distribution of water as well as rents over the project area. This suggests that the tail farmers need to face a substantially higher price for water if the system deteriorates and conveyance costs increase in the long run.

This paper aims to understand the impacts of climate changes on groundwater resources in the African continent in which groundwater components constitute one of the most indispensable resources for development.

Observed data are used for the first time to illustrate the manifested impacts of climate changes on the groundwater resources either directly or indirectly, this includes the comparison between isoheytal maps as well as water level data versus time.

The results of the analysis suggest that climate change is likely to impact groundwater resources, either directly, e.g. via changing precipitation patterns, or indirectly, e.g. through the interaction of changing precipitation patterns via changing land‐use practices and water demand. These changes may concern both groundwater quantity and quality. Climate change will affect groundwater recharge rates, i.e. the renewable groundwater resource, and groundwater levels. Any decrease in groundwater recharge will exacerbate the effect of sea‐level rise. In inland aquifers, a decrease in groundwater recharge can lead to saltwater intrusion of neighbouring saline aquifers, and increased evapotranspiration in semi‐arid and arid regions may lead to the salinisation of shallow aquifers.

In Africa, climate change and variability have the potential to impose additional pressures on water availability, water accessibility and water demands which will directly be impacted on eradicating poverty as a direct consequence of climate changes on sustainable development in Africa. A more refined understanding from specialists should be addressed to raise public and stakeholder awareness in this respect.

The purpose of this study is to collaborate with environmental engineering and management making an effort to provide evidence for the irresponsible behavior of small business set up in north India with special reference to Aligarh City. Corporates have huge accountability for sustainable development, and they cannot overlook the major responsibilities which are lying on their shoulders. CSR is related to the concept of “doing good” but, beyond “doing good” businesses have the responsibility for “avoiding bad” to avoid corporate social irresponsibility (CSI), such as damaging the environment by polluting land, water and air, cheating customers, violating human rights, or doing any unethical practices.

In this study, random groundwater samples were collected from “Aligarh Nagar Nigam” installed hand pumps from industrial influence areas of Aligarh during the month of October and November 2017. These samples were collected nearby small-scale metal plating industries plants. The samples analyzed by the Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) Perkin Elmer PinAAcle 900 F, for Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cr (Jahromi et al., 2007; Chen and Teo, 2001; Bidari et al., 2007; Land and Hoops, 1973; de Oliveira et al., 2016; Akoto et al., 2016). In addition, some other parameters also taken in this study and the results obtained are compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS).

These results of the study revealed that the penetration of heavy metals like Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn into the soil is found much higher than the permissible limit stated by the government. The concentrations of metals in groundwater found to be within limits, but some metals are exceeding the standard limits in few samples. Concentrations of these heavy metals Cr>Cu>Pb>Fe>Mn are exceeding standard limits, Zn found within permissible limits as per WHO and BIS standard. This result proves to be a means to an end for an irresponsible behavior toward the society and environment which leads to serious health and environmental hazards.

The results are beneficial for data generation on various quality parameters of groundwater. The results of this study help in proper decision-making by concerned authorities to prevent, reduce toxic levels and begin to take steps for making water fit for drinking and other purposes. The research is limited in Aligarh City and other cities are like Kanpur, Noida and Ghaziabad are also tested by taking samples of water, as these cities are extensively captured by SME’s and large scale industries.

The results of this study have several implications for both governmental and non-governmental practice and policy development. As society expects positive attitudes of the businesses toward CSR activities and concern about the environment, businesses, institutions and governments should pay more attention to promote the initiative of environment safety to intensify their public concern. The small business unit must know about the serious health hazards of discharging the waste water in the open and therefore regular checking of heavy metal contamination in the groundwater in these areas is needed and use of contaminated water must be prevented to lessen the health risk caused by using the metal contaminated groundwater. The small-scale industries should follow the guidelines for proper disposal of wastewater discharge. The water treatment technology should involve and take possible steps to remove heavy metals contamination.

This study provides real data to municipality and other government offices which can be used as a benchmark to plan strict policy to prohibit the open discharge of wastewater by industries.

Although the environmental impacts of groundwater abstraction and water table recovery are now known, historically they were given scant recognition due to the ad hoc nature of the development of aquifers. This paper summarises the potential impacts of groundwater exploitation, and reviews the effects of rising water tables on urban areas following the cessation or reduction of pumping. The use of GIS in assessing the implications for the environment is considered, in particular the coupling of hydrological models to a GIS for evaluating the impact of the drawdown of shallow water tables on agriculture.

Cyanide is extremely toxic to both human and aquatic life and exists as a contaminant in soils and groundwater at decommissioned gasworks sites due to past industrial practices. This included the processing and disposal of gas purification wastes which contained cyanide. The biodegradability of cyanide at gasworks sites in south‐eastern Australia is investigated to determine the viability of in situ bioremediation. Two study sites show cyanide concentrations in groundwater of up to 5,300mg/L CN (total) in the vicinty of these sites. Laboratory experiments using column microcosms indicate both aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of cyanide in water. Rates of degradation are typically first order with degradation microbiologically driven and are not simple oxidation‐reduction reactions. The rate of degradation is variable, depending on the existence of microbes, concentration and temperature. Even though both sites have cyanide contamination, only one requires remediation. In situ bioremediation is possible at this site thus providing an acceptable outcome to both site owner and the environment.

The analysis of groundwater level below the earth surface is focused on current and future scenarios. To analyze the wells under the threat of water level depletion, a study is conducted on the groundwater level using control charts. To improve watershed management, the important criteria are to increase infiltration as well as water storage capacity. There are 15 over-exploited zones in the study area (Dynamic GW Resources 2011). The purpose of this paper is to help in understanding the importance of wells for improving the water level to a certain extent for sustainable development.

The water levels in the wells are located with the help of x, y, z plotting on the ground using ArcGIS software. This water level mapping is done at a micro-watershed level to increase the clarity of information at the micro-level. In this study, the problem of depleted wells is sorted out, and the water level present in depleted wells pre-monsoon and post-monsoon is evaluated for the two years. Also, water level analysis is done using a control chart to find out the critical wells. On the basis of Poisson distribution, C-chart is used here to analyze the quality of wells and the water levels in those wells to be improved.

The outcome of the C-chart helps to track the wells that can be improved further to increase the water level. This paper presents the study of estimation of appropriate sites to be given importance and the rate of water level depletion to be controlled, which also helps to select a site suitable for artificial restoration by targeting groundwater potential zones.

This paper gives an outlook idea of wells that can be improved and the area that should be given more attention. Analyzing water level depletion helps to identify a suitable site for groundwater restoration using a remote sensing and geographical information system. These measures help the government and public sectors for proper planning and management of natural resources.

Arsenic contamination in shallow groundwater aquifers in the lower Gangetic basin constitutes a major health hazard in the Bengal basin extended over Bangladesh and India. It has been estimated that at least 35 million people in Bangladesh and 6 million people in India are severely affected by arsenic-contaminated water. More so, about 57 and 9 million people in Bangladesh and West Bengal, respectively, are exposed to arsenic-contamination risk. The use of hazardous, arsenic-bearing groundwater for drinking, cooking, and irrigation in West Bengal and Bangladesh has led to what has been described by the WHO as the worst case of mass poisoning in human history. In case of West Bengal, the problem of arsenic contamination was discovered in the 1980s; since then several mitigation measures were adopted by the provincial and federal governments, community organizations, and NGOs. Yet, poor infrastructural arrangements, dire poverty, lack of awareness, and education increased the risk of arsenic exposure over the decades. In this chapter, an effort has been made to critically analyze the extent of mitigation measures adopted so far in the state of West Bengal. It discusses in detail the chronological responses of the provincial government in arsenic risk mitigation, implementation of adopted mitigation measures, and the consequent response and actions of arsenic-affected communities in West Bengal. The chapter also highlights the emerging challenges of arsenic risk mitigation in West Bengal and proposes a “system-based” framework for risk mitigation.

To illuminate the underlying logic of western Kansas farmers’ decisions to irrigate at unsustainable rates and the state’s regulatory policies and practices that enable depletion of the Ogallala aquifer.

Ethnographic interviewing of 39 western Kansas farmers, state water management personnel, and archival research.

Farmers occupy an ambiguous position as petty capitalists who focus attention on their own farms with seasonal planning horizons, and they hold a view of “good stewardship” that melds economic and noneconomic considerations, and that provides a rationale for unsustainable irrigation practices. The state resolves the contradiction between the finite groundwater resource and ideological commitments to economic growth by devolving responsibility for water management to groundwater users.

While the small sample size is likely to be representative of the larger pool of irrigators, further research with other farmers representative of the region will be necessary to verify findings.

Depletion of the Ogallala aquifer contributes to farm consolidation and community decline, and the ecological costs will leave future farmers and remaining communities without the benefits of groundwater. Western Kansas will likely have to revert to a system of dryland farming.