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Location of the described seawater intrusion case studies in Catalonia. A land-use map serves as a background reference to illustrate the intense urban and agricultural development along the coast line (source: Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge de la Generalitat de Catalunya, data from 2002).
Context in source publication
Context 1
... expansion of tourist activities all along the coastline, or to agricultural uses, groundwater exploitation has induced seawater intru- sion for many decades. Most of it concentrates on fluvio-del- taic areas, as such of those of the Muga, Fluvià, Ter, Tordera, Besós, Llobregat, Gaià and Francolí Rivers and, finally, the Ebre Delta coastal system, (Fig. 3). Seawater intrusion in other hydrogeological formations, such as carbonatic rock aquifers, also occurs in Catalonia, for example, in the Montgrí, Garraf and Vandellós massifs [26,48]. Moreover, mobilization of connate or brackish water located in aquitards and low per- meability formations may also be removed under the influ- ence of ...
Citations
... One-third of the world's land surface is classified as arid or semiarid, in which natural soil and water resources are often in a delicate environmental balance. Several arid and semiarid regions are under particularly severe and increasing water stress due to expanding populations, rapid urbanization, increasing water consumption, and limited available water resources (Akhtar et al. 2022a;Mas-Pla et al. 2014;Al-Naeem 2014;Hussain et al. 2019). ...
Significant urbanization and industrialization, combined with strong population growth, have been witnessed in the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Yemen). This has placed tremendous pressure on authorities to meet rising demands for water in urban areas that have minimal water supplies available. This study deals with groundwater sustainability in the arid Arabian Peninsula in terms of quality, which has deteriorated due to overpumping, resulting in seawater intrusion. Relevant literature is reviewed specifically in connection with groundwater quality measurements or numerical modeling. Most of the studies reviewed here have confirmed the alarming pace of the decline of water tables and increasing seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifers of all the countries in the Arabian Peninsula. This has resulted in more dependency on desalination, increased cost of farming, increased poverty, and abandonment of vast areas of precious agricultural land, leading to population migration from the affected regions. If appropriately supported with the existing data on observed hydraulic head, pumping rates, hydrogeological parameters, boundary conditions, and so on, the numerical model is an accurate and cost-effective instrument for simulating and predicting the head and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers. Due to lack of the relevant data required for a thorough model run, there are few numerical modeling studies to assess the groundwater quality in all these countries. This study summarizes important aquifer parameters in the region to help researchers and practicing engineers in the modeling of groundwater quality and quantity in the Arabian Peninsula.
... Thus, given the particular climatic conditions in the area (e.g., absence of precipitation in the warmer months, high intra-and inter-annual variability, and frequent droughts), irrigation is essential to maintaining crop yields [22,23]. Moreover, irrigation-related issues become more pressing and complex when the groundwater resources are overexploited or saltwater intrusion occurs, as was reported by Mas-Pla et al. [24] and Alfarrah and Walraevens [25] for the coastal zones of arid and semi-arid areas in the Mediterranean basin, especially in those areas devoted to avocado farming [26]. Regarding adaptations in irrigated agriculture in the semi-arid Mediterranean region, Harmanny and Malek [27] identified 31 adaptation strategies in five categories: "water management, sustainable resource management, technological developments, farm production practices, and farm management". ...
Due to congenital features, avocado (Persea americana Mill.) trees are substantial water users compared to other fruit trees. The current growing deficiency of water resources, especially in arid and semiarid avocado-producing areas, has led to the demand for more sustainable water saving measures. The objective of this review was to analyze the role of deficit-irrigation as a strategy to face climate change and water scarcity to achieve efficiency, save water, and maximize the benefits that could be achieved at the level of the irrigated agricultural system. Particular attention is devoted to studies done in the sub-tropical Mediterranean climate, in which irrigated avocado orchards are common. These studies analyzed irrigation demand, deficit-irrigation, and determination of water status through physiological parameters, leading to possible sustainable irrigation programs for avocado in the context of water-shortage scenarios. Through these insights, we conclude that under the current climatic circumstances with respect to available water resources, avocado farming requires sustainable resilience strategies to reduce irrigation-water consumption without affecting the yield and quality of the fruits. Water stress inevitably affects those physiological processes that determine yield. Therefore, an admissible yield loss is required with smaller fruits but with water savings through deficit-irrigation strategies. In addition, modern consumers tend to prefer foods based on sustainability, i.e., there is a high demand for socially responsible and environmentally friendly products.
... The world's population has increased four times over the last 150 years, and it may quadruple in the next 30 years [1]. Over the past few centuries, the quality of groundwater and surface water has drastically declined in many regions of the world as a result of increased industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural activities [2][3][4][5][6]. Surface water sources, such as open channels and other water bodies, are relatively easier to monitor for contamination than underground sources, which makes restoring aquifers for clean water supplies a difficult task, as the subsurface pollution cannot be seen instantly [7]. ...
The Sultanate of Oman is an arid country in the Arabian Peninsula suffering from insufficient freshwater supplies and extremely hot weather conditions. The only source of recharge is rainfall, which is scarce and varies with space and time, for the aquifers being overexploited for the last few decades. This has led to depleting groundwater levels and seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers. In the present study, Ground Modeling System (GMS) was employed in Wadi Al-Jizi, which is one of the important aquifers in the Al Batinah coastal plain that caters to the needs of the country’s 70% agriculture. MODFLOW and MT3DMS were used to simulate the groundwater levels and solute transport, respectively. These models were calibrated under steady and transient conditions using observed data from twenty monitoring wells for a period of seventeen years (year 2000–2016). After validation, the model was utilized to predict the salinity intrusion due to changes in groundwater abstraction rates and sea level rise owing to climatic change. These predictions show that, by the year 2040, salinity intrusion (TDS > 12,800 mg/L) will transgress by 0.80 km inland if the current abstraction rates are allowed to be maintained. Further deterioration of groundwater quality is anticipated in the following years due to the increased pumping rates. The models and the results from the present study may be utilized for the effective management of groundwater resources in the Wadi Al-Jizi aquifer.
... Coastal zones are most attractive to tourists, especially in Bangladesh. Although agriculture has the highest need for groundwater in coastal areas, increasing water demand due to tourism development creates additional pressure on the underground (Mas-Pla et al., 2014). A recent study on the groundwater level at Cox's Bazar area depicted that the groundwater level has already gone below the sea level due to excessive abstraction of the groundwater in some tourist zone (Fatema et al., 2018). ...
The tourism industry of Bangladesh is growing very rapidly in recent
years though international tourist arrival is very limited compared to the neighboring
countries. However, domestic tourist flow has been increasing excessively. This
book chapter reveals the status of sustainable tourism indicators of Bangladesh
guided by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Department of
International Development (DFID). It has been found that the local people of the
topmost revenue-generating destination of Bangladesh are slightly dissatisfied with
mass tourism development, yet, it varies for different factors. In terms of social and
environmental concerns, local people are dissatisfied with conventional tourism
practices. However, they are very satisfied with the increase of diversified livelihood
and economic multiplication. On the other hand, livelihood capital is used limited
to sustainability in the four major sectors of the tourism industry for the country.
The main reason for it could be depicted lack of theoretical understanding of
research. However, the tourism industry of the country is still in the booming stage.
Therefore, the application of effective knowledge with proper investments and
development practices could improve the industries involved in the tourism business
in a sustainable manner. Thus, this industry could rise and bring about decent
employment offerings in a sustainable manner to everyone (i.e. from the community
to investors or the government). Moreover, these practices will improve the capacity
of the destination’s inhabitants to protect the environment and ensure community
empowerment.
... Various natural and anthropogenic activities have also degraded the already scarce surface water resources (Hussain, 2021;Murdoch et al., 2000;Ntengwe, 2006;Bilotta and Brazier, 2008). This has increased groundwater extraction in coastal areas worldwide (i Pla et al., 2014). ...
Uthal is a small town in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It has an arid to semi-arid climate and groundwater is the primary source of freshwater for domestic and agricultural uses. To evaluate groundwater's nature, an electrical resistivity survey (ERS) was conducted in Uthal. Groundwater investigation for 25-point data was carried out with the PASI Electrical Resistivity Imaging System, using the Schlumberger array. The data was acquired with a maximum current electrode spacing of 300 m. The geoelectrical parameters measured were analyzed by IPI2win software by curve matching, and five geoelectrical layers were identified, and the Dar Zarrouk parameters were calculated. The top thinnest layer of unconsolidated material had a resistivity between 600 and 2600 Ωm. The second layer was of unconsolidated sand and gravel with a resistivity of 50–11,500 Ωm; the third with dry sand and clay had a resistivity of up to 200 Ωm; the fourth showed a thick freshwater zone with a resistivity between 75 and 100 Ωm followed by a thick layer of sand and clay with fresh water had resistivity between 48 Ωm and 90 Ωm. The Dar Zarrouk parameters, longitudinal unit conductance S is from 0.1 to 1.65 mho; transverse unit resistance T greater than 25,000 Ωm²; longitudinal resistance RS is from 50 to 1350 Ωm and transverse resistivity RT from 22 to 1150 Ωm. ERS data and Dar Zarrouk parameters showed that the study area has freshwater resources in the subsurface. Saline water is present in isolated locations in small pockets, resulting from dry surface conditions. The results of ERS data and Dar Zarrouk parameters show no occurrence of seawater intrusion.
... Coastal zones are most attractive to tourists, especially in Bangladesh. Although agriculture has the highest need for groundwater in coastal areas, increasing water demand due to tourism development creates additional pressure on the underground (Mas-Pla et al., 2014). A recent study on the groundwater level at Cox's Bazar area depicted that the groundwater level has already gone below the sea level due to excessive abstraction of the groundwater in some tourist zone (Fatema et al., 2018). ...
The importance of ecotourism is rapidly increasing in Bangladesh as the country has natural wonders, panoramic hills, valleys, forests, beaches, lakes, rivers, reserves of glorious creatures etc. These ideally have positioned Bangladesh to become able to compete in the global ecotourism market. Although ecotourism is still relatively new to Bangladesh, several initiatives are taken to expand and promote it in the country. Ecotourism in Bangladesh is gaining popularity as more travelers become aware of the stunning landscapes, mesmerizing wildlife and biodiversity of plants found in this beautiful country. What is more, by offering access to offshore islands, rivers, wetlands, ‘‘Haors’’ (water reservoirs), mangrove forests, and diverse bio cultures, Bangladesh possesses the potential for development as an ecotourism hub. The aim of this chapter is to define the opportunities for ecotourism services and products in Bangladesh, as well as the current constraints and potential solutions. This chapter will assist policymakers and marketers in putting policies and strategies in place to promote ecotourism products and encourage overall tourism growth in Bangladesh.
... The intensive extraction of groundwater from coastal aquifers reduces freshwater outflow to the sea and depresses the local water-table level, causing thereby seawater to migrate further inland toward aquifers (Bear et al. 1999). This phenomenon has been observed in many coastal areas worldwide (Bouchaou et al. 2008, Bocanegra et al. 2010, Werner 2010, Mas Pla et al. 2014, Seddique et al. 2019, Boumaiza et al. 2020, and is an important environmental issue negatively affecting groundwater resources. Salinity degrades the quality of groundwater and therefore reduces the volume of freshwater that is available within an aquifer (Post 2005, Werner et al. 2013, Ros and Zuurbier 2017. ...
Located in northeast Algerian, the coastal aquifer of Taleza constitutes a significant source of groundwater. It contains hundreds of private wells installed by the population for several purposes including drinking water. Recently, the groundwater has become quite saline; in order to investigate this issue, hydrochemical and isotopic groundwater characterization is carried out, including the analyses of major elements and water stable isotopes δ 2 H-H2O and δ 18 O-H2O. Results confirmed a saltwater intrusion, and interestingly, the intrusion mechanism appears to be more complex than a direct intrusion from the Mediterranean Sea. During the high-water period, saltwater intrusion may also originate from the two rivers bordering the aquifer, via upstream migration of seawater through the river mouths. The heavier ratios in δ 2 H-H2O and δ 18 O-H2O of surface water collected from the rivers suggest that the Mediterranean Sea water is mixing with rivers water. The present study shows that seawater may exert deleterious impacts on groundwater quality and greatly limit conditions for the sustainable groundwater management.
... Sodium was present in high concentrations, especially in the spring waters from the North-Western area, while potassium was mainly found in the Central-Northern area where acidic soils, rich in feldspar, predominate. Bicarbonate was the anion mostly represented in the mineral-rich waters moving along through the carbonate rocks located at the extreme ends of the island, whereas it was replaced by chloride in a few areas that underwent recent seawater intrusion [37] as well as in the low-salinity waters of the central mountain massif. Sulfate was the characteristic anion of the thermal waters flowing from eruptive rocks near once-active volcanic areas [38]. ...
The role of water hardness on human health, ranging from beneficial to harmful, is still debated. Before the rise of drinking bottled water, it was a common habit to obtain supplies of drinking water directly from spring-fed public fountains. According to the geographic location, spring waters are characterized by a variable content of mineral components. In this ecological study, for the first time in Sardinia, Italy, the spatial association between spring water quality/composition and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for coronary artery disease (CAD) in the decade from 1981 to 1991 was investigated using data retrieved from published databases. In a total of 377 municipalities, 9918 deaths due to CAD, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), ICD-9 code 410, and ischemic heart disease (IHD), ICD-9 code 411–414, were retrieved. A conditional autoregressive model with spatially structured random effects for each municipality was used. The average SMR for CAD in municipalities with a predominantly “soft” (<30 mg/L) or “hard” (>30 mg/L) water was, respectively, 121.4 +/- 59.1 vs. 104.7 +/- 38.2 (p = 0.025). More specifically, an inverse association was found between elevated calcium content in spring water and cardiovascular mortality (AMI: r = -0.123, p = 0.032; IHD: r = -0.146, p = 0.009) and borderline significance for magnesium (AMI: r = -0.131, p = 0.054; IHD: r = -0.138, p = 0.074) and bicarbonate (IHD: r = -0.126, p = 0.058),
whereas weak positive correlations were detected for sodium and chloride. The lowest CAD mortality was observed in geographic areas (North-West: SMR 0.92; South-East: SMR 0.88), where calcium- and bicarbonate-rich mineral waters were consumed. Our results, within the limitation of an ecological study, confirm the beneficial role of waters with high content in calcium and bicarbonate against coronary artery disease.
... The interface or intersection zone of freshwater and saltwater is called diffuse zone, and it is also referred to as dispersion zone (Barlow 2014) where freshwater and saltwater get mixing. Nowadays encroachment of saltwater is a rising concern for most of the coastal regions due to withdrawal of fresh groundwater through pumping in order to meet the demand of human needs for their livelihood (Mas-Pla et al. 2014). The freshwater recharge into the coastal aquifer is reducing due to excessive pumping of fresh groundwater, sea level rise, coastal flooding (associated with cyclone, tsunami, and storm surge), and canal system development for agriculture practices. ...
The saltwater ingress vulnerability map of Chennai coast, India, was prepared using GALDIT model in geospatial (GIS) environment by incorporating six factors toward saltwater intrusion vulnerability, namely, groundwater occurrence, depth of groundwater level, aquifer hydraulic conductivity, distance from shoreline, existing saltwater intrusion impact, and thickness of aquifer. The final seawater ingress vulnerability map was divided into five vulnerable zones, viz., very high, high, moderate, low, and very low vulnerability zones. The dominated saltwater ingress vulnerability zone along the coastal zone of Chennai comes under high to very high category. Coastal areas are coming under the very high saltwater ingress vulnerability zone. Hence, management strategies need to adopt for fresh groundwater sustainability by reducing the effect of saltwater.
... Coastal zones are most attractive to tourists, especially in Bangladesh. Although agriculture has the highest need for groundwater in coastal areas, increasing water demand due to tourism development creates additional pressure on the underground (Mas-Pla et al., 2014). A recent study on the groundwater level at Cox's Bazar area depicted that the groundwater level has already gone below the sea level due to excessive abstraction of the groundwater in some tourist zone (Fatema et al., 2018). ...
A country’s touristy appeal majorly relies on its culture, archaeology, ancient heritage, historic palaces, natural beauty, etc. From this angle, Bangladesh can be considered as a touristic country. The present-day landmass that constitutes Bangladesh has a rich history with many tourist attractions. The Bangladesh economy is more integrated with the tourism industry. In this context, this research aims to outline the scenario and prospect of development and investment of tourism in the country. Findings of this review chapter show that adequate development and investments in the tourism industry of Bangladesh can facilitate the economy’s integration with greater financial and technical strengths.
