Impacts of Climate Variation and Groundwater Declination on Groundwater Quality in an Arid Environment

Author: Reza Ghazavi* and Ali Aleboali**

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Abstract

In arid and semi-arid region, rainfall occurred in a short time with high intensity and consequently a large amount of rainfall convert to runoff. In these areas, evapotranspiration is high and a significant volumes of surface water lose through evapotranspiration. In such area, groundwater is the main source of fresh water for agricultural, industrial and other human activities. But climate change and over extraction should affect groundwater quality and quantity. The main aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of climate variation and over extraction of groundwater on temporal and spatial variation of groundwater quality in Kashan aquifer located in the center of Iran. For this propose, the meteorological drought index (SPI) and groundwater drought index (GRI) was calculated for 23 years (1991-2015). The relationship between groundwater quality, SPI and GRI was investigated via Pierson correlation method. According to results, for the studied period, groundwater level decrea

Keywords

Climate Change, Over extraction, Groundwater quality, Drought index, Arid environment

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that groundwater quality and quantity souled affect via meteorological drought and water extraction for agricultural, industrial and other human activity. According to results, the effect of groundwater extraction is more important than meteorological drought. Annual groundwater extraction in the study area increased from 0.17 million cubic meter in 1980 to 2.5 million cubic meter in 2013. In Iran, more than 92% of re-new able water use in agricultural activity. Therefore, it is important that manage agricultural water utilization.

References

Groundwater is the major freshwater sources in the hydrological cycle of arid and semi-arid area (Ghazavi et al., 2010). During droughts, groundwater is the main and in some case is the only source of fresh water for agricultural, industrial and other human activities. In the recent years, the over extraction of groundwater for human consumption and agricultural activity lead to groundwater depressing in most parts of the area located in arid and semi- arid environment (Treidel et al., 2012; Ghazavi et al, 2016; Wada et al., 2010). It is well recognized that climate change is also a regional and world wiled problem that affected groundwater resources (Treidel et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2016). The studies about the climate change indicate that water resource management policies need to include the effects of global climate change for correctly predict of water supplies (Woldeamlak et al., 2007; Ying et al., 2015). The prediction of climate change in many parts of

How to cite this article

Reza Ghazavi and Ali Aleboali (2017). Impacts of Climate Variation and Groundwater Declination on Groundwater Quality in an Arid Environment .Biological Forum – An International Journal 9(2):177-184.