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Groundwater assessment and management: implications and opportunities of globalization

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Abstract

The present and predicted increase in groundwater’s share of human freshwater withdrawals, its unprecedented importance for human activities globally, and the emerging threats from escalated and unplanned use and degradation, especially in the developing countries, point to the need for intensified efforts to cope with the imbalances. Despite these facts, there is little intervention by governments in developing countries. Sufficient knowledge, awareness and understanding of the groundwater resources and their proper management are missing in these countries, as well as in the international community. Links and trends are described, which highlight problem areas, such as water contamination, urbanization, and socio-economic factors related to groundwater management practices. Globalization provides novel opportunities for facilitating the process of acquiring and applying the necessary knowledge and can, and should, be further explored and developed. The likely benefits of this are: increase in convergence of understanding and approaches; the sharing of knowledge; and potentially wide-reaching, lasting, and scale-crossing networks. The international development and research community is in a particularly fortunate position to promote and facilitate such a process, which should go hand in hand with well focused and coordinated “on the ground” tasks, such as local networking, field investigations, capacity building, and advocacy activities.

Résumé

La croissance actuelle et future de l’exploitation des eaux souterraines pour le prélèvement d’eau douce, l’émergence de menaces provenant d’usages et de dégradations en escalade et non planifiés, spécialement dans les régions en voie de développement, montrent du doigt lles efforts nécessaires et intensifs pour affronter ces déséquilibres.

Malgré ces faits, les gouvernements des pays en développement réagissent faiblement. Les connaissances suffisantes, les consciences et les compréhensions des ressources en eaux souterraines et de leur bonne gestion, manquent dans ces pays et dans la communauté internationale.

Les liens et les tendances des régions à problémes sont décrits, tels que les problèmes relatifs à la contamination, à l’urbanisation, aux facteurs socio-économiques au regard de la gestion des eaux souterraines. La globalisation apporte de nouvelles opportunités, facilitant le processus d’acquisition et de sollicitation des connaissances nécessaires, et peut, et devrait, être mieux explorée et développée. Les bénéfices seraient vraisemblablement : une augmentation de la convergence des compréhensions et des approches; le partage des connaissances; et potentiellement un réseau largement étendu, permanent et croisé. La communauté internationale de recherche et développement est en position de promouvoir et faciliter de tels processus, qui devraient passer de main en main jusqu’au terrain, via les réseaux locaux, les investigations de terrain, la formation (/capacity building/), et les activités de promotion des intérêts.

Resumen

El incremento presente y predicho en la participación del agua subterránea en los aprovechamientos humanos de agua dulce, su importancia sin precedentes para las actividades humanas en general, y las amenazas que surgen a partir del uso y degradación crecientes y sin planeación, especialmente en los países en vías de desarrollo, llevan a la necesidad de intensificar los esfuerzos para afrontar los desbalances. A pesar de estos hechos hay una escasa intervención por parte de los gobiernos en los países en desarrollo. El conocimiento, la atención y la comprensión suficientes de los recursos de agua subterránea y de su manejo apropiado están ausentes en esos países, así como en la comunidad internacional. Se describen relaciones y tendencias, que resaltan las áreas con problemas, tales como contaminación del agua, urbanización y factores socio-económicos relacionados a las prácticas de gestión del agua subterránea. La globalización da oportunidades novedosas para facilitar el proceso de adquirir y aplicar el conocimiento necesario, y esto podría y debería ser aún mas explorado y desarrollado. Los beneficios probables son: El incremento en la convergencia del entendimiento y de los avances, el intercambio de conocimiento y la conformación de redes potencialmente ilimitadas, de amplio alcance y duración. El desarrollo internacional y la comunidad científica están en una posición privilegiada para promover y facilitar ese proceso, el cual debería ir de la mano con las tareas presentes bien enfocadas y coordinadas, tales como la conformación de redes locales, investigaciones de campo, fortalecimiento de la capacidad, y actividades de promoción.

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Notes

  1. In 1990, urban dwellers comprised 43% of the world’s total population, while in least developed countries 35% of the population lived in cities. By 2020, the proportion of urban population in least developed countries is predicted to surpass 50% and it is expected that 57% of the world’s total population will live in cities (UN [United Nations] Report 1997).

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Correspondence to Karen G. Villholth.

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Villholth, K.G. Groundwater assessment and management: implications and opportunities of globalization. Hydrogeol J 14, 330–339 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-005-0476-z

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