Muhammad Sufyan

ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE WITHIN TERRITORIES: WATER AVAILABILITY AND RECHARGING ARTIFICIAL PHREATIC AQUIFERS BY HIGH SURFACE WATERS QUALITY

Growing populations and economic activities are driving up the demand for freshwater resources, straining existing water supplies leading to environmental resilience approaches in the future. Climate change has intensified droughts and altered precipitation patterns, affecting natural groundwater recharge rates. In order to overcome the impact of the extreme climate events and current pattern of groundwater depletion in the future, there is a need to change the water management strategies. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is increasingly being practiced worldwide as a management strategy, to increase surface water infiltration and storage into the underground space. MAR enhances the groundwater resources by artificially injecting the water from surface into the aquifers. MAR provides a viable solution and mitigation strategy to the problem of declining groundwater level and water quality.

The main objective of the research is to assess the impact of MAR on groundwater resources in terms of water quality and quantity. Another objective of the research is the development of numerical models to simulate the groundwater flow and contaminants transport resulting from the recharge operation, with the ultimate aim of predicting future hydrogeological variations in the aquifer system, resulting from the changes in stresses in the aquifer system. Further a comparison between various types of MAR approaches in internal and coastal areas will be a target of the research by case studies application.

in progress