Ebook: Urban Groundwater Management and Sustainability

Given that around 50% of the world’s population live in cities, and that urban populations are expanding rapidly, the issues are important and becoming increasingly urgent. To reduce the effects of such impacts, management is required irrespective of whether the groundwater is to be used or not. This management must be based on a sound technical understanding of the interacting processes involved. The forty papers in this volume explore the state of this understanding in the context of a wide range of countries (and therefore cultures), climates, and geologies. They are divided into topic areas covering flow, chemical water quality, biological water quality, remediation, engineering, and socio-economics. An initial section sets the scene with a range of integrated regional-scale studies. The volume provides an insight into groundwater issues for other urban specialists, including planners: without communication between the disciplines involved, progress towards acceptable urban sustainability will be slow.

Urbanization modifies groundwater systems, often with adverse hydrological, water quality, geotechnical, and socio-economic effects which jeopardize sustainability. Indeed, in many urban aquifers world-wide, we do not know whether socially acceptable sustainable hydrological systems even exist. Because around 50% of the world’s population live in cities today, and urban populations are expanding rapidly, these important issues are increasingly urgent. To reduce the effect of such impacts, management based on a sound technical understanding of the interacting processes is required, irrespective of whether the groundwater is to be used or not.

The forty papers in this book explore the state of sustainable groundwater management in the context of a wide range of countries and cultures, climates, and geologies. They are divided into topic areas covering flow, chemical water quality, biological water quality, remediation, engineering, and socio-economics. An introductory section presents a range of integrated regional-scale studies. The volume will interest groundwater specialists in industry and research, and will provide insight into groundwater issues for