Estimated cumulative global groundwater depletion (1900-2008) (from Konikow, 2011)

Examples and governance measures to effectively manage GDASEsPeter Dillon

NATIONAL RESEARCH FLAGSHIP

Draft Thematic Paper #4 for GEF/FAO facilitated by IAH through World Wide Ground Water

pdillon500@gmail.comIMWI Small holder GDASE Workshop, Nov 2014

The bad news... • Outcome of international groundwater governance experiments

...and the very good news• Examples of highly successful groundwater management• Synthesis of new pathways to sustainable systems

Types of groundwater storage management

Conventional• Laisser-faire (let the aquifer decide)• Improve water use efficiency• Entitlement to groundwater linked to land ownership• Prior rights• Centralised system of consumption constraints

Innovative• Groundwater user collectives• Decentralised system of tradable entitlements and allocations• Managed aquifer recharge (in fresh and brackish aquifers)• Substitutional supplies

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Region Mean annual storage decline

2000-2008 (km3 / yr)

Dominant groundwater entitlement system based on:

Current groundwater

storage projections

Dominant groundwater

use

USA 25.5* Land ownership or prior rights depletion irrigation Northern India 52.9* Land ownership depletion irrigation Saudi Arabia 13.6* Land ownership depletion irrigation North China Plain

5.0* State ownership but licensing ranges from comprehensive to

effectively unlicensed

sustained production to

depletion

irrigation

Nubian Aquifer 2.4* Land ownership depletion Irrigation & city supplies

NW Sahara 2.2* Land ownership depletion Irrigation Australia <0.3** State ownership and water

access entitlement sustained

production Irrigation, stock and domestic

Philippines <0.1** Shared use of common pool resource

sustained production

Irrigation

* from Konikow (2011); ** estimated

Dominant groundwater entitlement systems and groundwater uses in relation to storage decline

Farmer water management school activities at Pasuquin, Philippines

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Pump operation and measurement of discharge Field day and exhibition stations manned by FWMS farmers

Recording monthly rainfalls and groundwater levels

photos by Samuel Contreras, Philippines Bureau of Soil and Water Management

• Coastal aquifer not yet over-exploited• Electricity supply coming• High social cohesion of villagers and willing to act cooperatively• Farmer-led groundwater management based on training by govt staff in soil, irrigation and groundwater monitoring and management

Hivre Bazaar, Maharashtra, India

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(Sources from various Hivre Bazaar websites).

catchment before intervention

a percolation tank for aquifer recharge consequent productive irrigated agriculture

Namoi, NSW, Aust - Water sharing plan with groundwater trading (from NWC, 2011)

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Value of water uses from Roberts et al (2006) (units A$, 2004)

Cap and trade system for s/w & g/w • g/w use increases to 78% in dry years• 12 zones with different water stresses• Annual entitlements issued 2006: 376Mm3 s/w and 250Mm3 g/w including non-tradeable supplementary licences which reduce to zero over 3-10yrs depending on zone. • Groundwater trading of up to 12Mm3/yr and s/w 18Mm3/yr to compensate for decline in supplementary licenses.• Overall g/w use is decreasing and reallocated to higher valued uses based on trading between irrigators.

Sand dams to spread water

Relining a recharge pit

Infiltration of river water, Burdekin Delta, Queensland

Soil Aquifer Treatment, with recycled water, Alice Springs, NT

SAT basins first fill in June 2008 photo by NT Power and Water

DAF at water reclamation plant

“Los Arenales” aquifer, Castilla y León, Spain

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Diagram of recharge basin on pipeline from river that recharges groundwater

Water from wastewater treatment entering recharge ditch Water replenishing wetland

Recharge to offset over-exploitation for irrigation, established by government and transferred to communities of irrigators. However irrigation is increasing.

Three pronged approach to managing groundwater storage in Arizona, USA

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1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 20100

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Cumulative deliveries (Mcm)

Agua Fria Recharge Project infiltration basins recharge CAP water to replenish groundwater and accumulate a recharge credit for future groundwater use (from Arizona Water Banking Authority).

Cumulative water deliveries by Arizona Water Banking Authority 1997-2008 (Arizona Water Banking Authority 2011)

1. Law quantifies groundwater rights2. Water banking to increase storage3. Substituting s/w for g/w

Integrated water resources management through MAR and conjunctive use

Water supply sustained andEcosystem protected

Ground water

Surface water

MANAGED AQUIFER

RECHARGE

CONJUNCTIVE MANAGEMENT

Natural water

Urban storm water

Treated sewage

Desalinated water

Hydrologic equilibrium reached through reducing extraction, providing alternative supplies or MAR

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Demand management

MAR to replenish aquifer

Groundwater deficit in

over-exploited aquifer

Groundwater use

Groundwater supply-able

without excessive adverse impacts

Alternative supplies

Initial situationManagement interventions Final situation

Groundwater used without

excessive adverse impacts

Conjunctive use

MAR

Native groundwater

Economics of incorporating managed aquifer recharge and alternative supplies

14 |Cumulative volume saved or supplied

Unit cost of loss from demand

reduction or of implementing MAR or alter-native supply

A decision tree proposed for policy reform to achieve agreed objectives in stressed and unstressed aquifers

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Integrated water resources assessment;Size of allocatable resource; current use of resource; economics to expand supply

for each of: Surface water, groundwater, sewage/stormwater, seawater

Is groundwater, (or connected surface

water) over-allocated?

Is there existing social capability for

collective action?

Yes

Are sufficient other water

sources available, allocatable and

economic?

No

YesYes

NoNo

User collective manages with tech support

from govt.

1.Specify entitlements (eg =existing use)2.Centralised g/w management3.Build g/w user awareness and capability for collective action4. When ready, user collective manages with tech support from govt.

1. Evaluate economics of increasing water use efficiency, and value of crops per unit of water used, and alternative water supplies either reticulated directly, or via managed aquifer recharge.2.Inform groundwater users3.Establish new entitlement system4.Establish groundwater allocation plan.5.Provide technical support and review to progress against plan6.Incorporate consultative processes in periodic revision of allocatable volume.

1. Evaluate economics of production elsewhere for each product of groundwater use.2.Inform groundwater users3.Establish new entitlement system4.Establish groundwater allocation plan –either for mining with maximum utility or reduce demand to reduce rate of further storage decline.5.Provide technical support and review to progress against plan6.Oversee closure of resource when exhausted if mining option adopted.

eg, Pasuquin,

Philippines; Andhra

Pradesh, India

eg, Namoi, Aust.; Arizona Water Banking Authority, USA

eg.?

eg. Alice Springs, Aust

Towards Water Quality Guidelines for Managed Aquifer Recharge in India

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AusAID project (with Central Ground Water Board to conclude 2014) will develop MAR Guidelines that relate to information available and improve protection of human health with water safety plans Photos by Dr D.K. Chadha

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Hazards Affecting GDEs receptor and associated monitoring methods

• Excessive changes in water tables orpressures

• Aquifer microbial community

• Aquifer stygofauna

• Organisms in connected surface water ecosystems• Vegetation in groundwaterdependent ecosystems

• Marine organisms

• Water quality changes (includingpesticides)

Presentation title | Presenter name

Ecosystem impacts

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Presentation title | Presenter name19 |