UN–Water Decade, Programme on Advocacy and CommunicationInternational Annual UN – Water Zaragoza Conference 2012/1013Preparing for the 2013 International Year:

Water Cooperation: making it happen!Zaragoza 8–10 January, 2013

Emilio CUSTODIO, Dr.I.I., Spanish Royal Academy of SciencesDept. Geo–Engineering / Fund. Intern. Centre for Groundwater Hydr.Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona

Analysis of the pros and cons of intensively developed aquifers: hydrological, economic, social and ethical issues.

Proposal of an international study project

With the support of projects:● REDESAC (CGL2009–12910–C03–01)● UNESCO–IGCP–519

Side event:

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With the collaboration of :Dr. M. Ramón Llamas, Spanish Royal Academy of SciencesDirector Water Observatory, Botin FoundationEmeritus Professor, Faculty of Geology, Complutense University, Madrid

Groundwater Mining – GWM

Possible definition:

Depletion of freshwater reserves in the aquifers at a rate much greater than renovation

This may refer to Is this GWM ?

● total water volume depletion yes

● freshwater volume depletion yes perhaps

● wide scale pollution ? probably not

Intensity● no replacement no recharge in the long term yes● slow replacement decades to centuries yes● moderate rate replacement years to decades perhaps● use of the aquifer as a temporal water reservoir ?

seawater intrusionsaline water encroachmentnatural contaminated water ?

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Consequences of groundwater miningPositive Benefits

Attending needs

Development

EmploymentFixation of populationDrainage of lands

Nature of benefits / costs

economicsocial

Negative Costs

Increasing costs

Possible GW quality impairment

Reduction of aquifer yield

Possible subsidence / collapse Ecological services impairment Decrease of other related water resourcesPossible pollution due to GW use

pumping energyreplacement of utilitiesremaking of wells

on personson cropson productionon turism

localgeneral

economic must includesocial intangibleethical intangible

directindirect (externalities)

Effects may be long–delayedconsider present value discount rate a debatable ethical issue

GW has different uses consider opportunity costsEvaluate ecological services 2013–GWM–UN–Zaragoza–32013–GWM–UN–Zaragoza–3

at country levelat medium scalelocal

Scale is important Impactslarge aquifers / areassmall significant aquifer systemssmall islands

Intensity of groundwater abstraction by the year 2000, as allocated to 0.5o x 0.5o grid cells by the PCR–GLOBWB model, in mm/year (Wada et al., 2010)

(Margat & van der Gun, 2012)

GWM

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Top–10 groundwater abstracting countries (as per 2010)

Country Abstraction(km3/year)

1 India 2512 China 1123 USA 1124 Pakistan 655 Iran 646 Bangladesh 307 Mexico 298 Saudi Arabia 249 Indonesia 15

10 Turkey 13

Evolution of aggregated groundwater abstraction from 1950 onwards for a number of countries with intensive groundwater

exploitation

(Margat & van der Gun, 2012)

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km3/yr

Abstraction of non-renewable groundwater by country (at the beginning of the 21st century)

Percentage of total water withdrawal covered by non-renewable groundwater (at the beginning of the 21 st century)

GWM

GWM

20

13

–G

WM

–U

N–

Za

rag

oza

–6

20

13

–G

WM

–U

N–

Za

rag

oza

–6

Margat & van der Gun, 2012

Cumulative net groundwater depletion 1900–2008 estimated for the entire world. (Konikow, 2011)

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GWM is:● a global phenomenon after 1940● accelerating (N. India, …)● USA = 22% of global total 1900–2008● GWM contributes 12,6 mm to sea level rise 1900–2008 (6,7% of total rise)

GWM

Groundwater footprints of aquifers important for agricultureThe equivalent recharge area for long–term use is larger than their geographic areas

(Gleesson et al., 2012)

GWM

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Use of groundwater reserves not accounted forLong–term sustainability may be not the goalNon–optimal share of water resources between use and ecology

Comments

The Groundwater Mining Project – GWMP

Duration: 2 yearsParticipation: 7 to 10 countries or well–defined regions

Conditions: each participant

Coordinator: ● sets the wanted contents

● get resources for

Content of each study (with possible adaptations to each situation)

● Country / region overview of GWM● Small scale case for detailed analysis

Final report: responsibility the coordinator authors / coauthors those who want to contribute to each chapter

It will be freely available on the webpublished as a book if it is possible

hydrogeological backgroundwater resources conditionseconomic issues and analysissocial and ethical issuesfinal balance

2 / 3 coordination meetingsa small steering groupproducing a final comprehensive report

raises his own resourcesis the proprietor of what he produces

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Tentative index of the final report

To be followed as far as possible by country / region reports, in what applies

1 ● Introduction and overview2 ● GWM hydrological effects3 ● GWM environmental effects4 ● GWM quality–related problems5 ● GWM benefits (present and discounted)6 ● GWM costs (present and discounted)7 ● GWM externality evaluation8 ● GWM social and ethical aspects under actual conditions9 ● What after GWM ceases10 ● Long–term economic and social balance11 ● Guidelines for legal norms, in general under local conditions12 ● Water policy conclusions

GWMP

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Some references

Foster, s., Loucks, D.P. (eds.). 2011 Non–renewable groundwater resources: a guidebook on socially–sustainable

management for water–policy markers IHP–VI Series on Groundwater 10. UNESCO / IAH / GW–Mate–World BanckGleeson, T., Wada, Y., Bierkens, M.F., van Beek, L.P.H. 2012 Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint Nature, 488: 197–200. DOI: 10.1038/nature11295Wada, Y., van Beek, L.P.H. 2012 Nonsustainable groundwater sustaining irrigation: a global assessment Water Resources Research, 48, DOI: 10.1029/2011WR010562Margat, J., van der Gun, J. 2012 Groundwater around the world UNESCO–PHI / IGRAC: 212 + AnnexesCustodio, E. 2012 Intensive groundwater development: A water cycle transformation, a social

revolution, a management challenge In: L. Martínez–Cortina, A. Garrido and E. López–Gunn: Rethinking Water and

Food Security Chap. 14. FB / CRC Press: 259–298Aeschbach–Hertig, W., Gleeson, T. 2012 Regional strategies for accelerating global problems of groundwater depletion Nature Geoscience, 5, Dec. 2012: 853–861

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