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Topical Collection: Groundwater recharge and discharge in arid and semi-arid areas of China

Série Thématique: Recharge et décharge des eaux souterraines dans les zones arides et semi-arides de Chine

Colección Temática: Recarga y descarga de aguas subterráneas en zonas áridas y semiáridas de China

专题辑:中国干旱和半干旱地区的地下水补给和排泄

Coleção Tópica: Recarga e descarga de águas subterrâneas em áreas áridas e semiáridas da China

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Abstract

The arid and semi-arid regions within China host 75% of the country’s cultivated lands. These regions heavily rely on groundwater for drinking, irrigation, industry and energy production. Understanding recharge and discharge processes is critical to managing sustainable use and development of groundwater resources. Recently, groundwater recharge and discharge have been altered by climate change (air temperature, rainfall) and human activities (e.g. irrigation, pumping, reforestation), resulting in significant changes in the quantity, quality, and spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater resources. This essay describes some examples of the associated issues, challenges and opportunities in the arid and semi-arid areas of China.

Résumé

Les régions arides et semi-arides de la Chine abritent 75% des terres cultivées du pays. Ces régions dépendent fortement des eaux souterraines pour l’alimentation en eau potable, l’irrigation, l’industrie et la production d’énergie. Comprendre les processus de recharge et de décharge est. essentiel pour gérer de manière durable l’utilisation et l’exploitation des eaux souterraines. Récemment, la recharge et la décharge des eaux souterraines ont été modifiés par le changement climatique (température de l’air, précipitations) et les activités humaines (par exemple l’irrigation, les pompages, le reboisement), entraînant des changements importants en termes de quantité, de qualité et de distribution spatio-temporelle des ressources en eau souterraine. Cet essai décrit quelques exemples des problèmes, défis et opportunités associés dans les régions arides et semi-arides de Chine.

Resumen

Las regiones áridas y semiáridas de China albergan el 75% de las tierras cultivadas del país. Estas regiones dependen en gran medida de las aguas subterráneas para el consumo, el riego, la industria y la producción de energía. La comprensión de los procesos de recarga y descarga es fundamental para la gestión del uso y el desarrollo sostenibles de los recursos hídricos subterráneos. Recientemente, la recarga y la descarga de aguas subterráneas se han visto alteradas por el cambio climático (temperatura del aire, precipitaciones) y las actividades humanas (por ejemplo, el riego, el bombeo y la reforestación), lo que ha dado lugar a cambios importantes en la cantidad, la calidad y la distribución espacio-temporal de los recursos de aguas subterráneas. En el presente artículo se describen algunos ejemplos de los problemas, desafíos y oportunidades conexos en las zonas áridas y semiáridas de China.

摘要

中国干旱和半干旱地区占75%的国土耕地面积。 这些地区主要依赖地下水以用于饮用,灌溉,工业和能源生产。理解补给和排泄过程对于管理地下水资源的可持续利用和开发至关重要。最近,由于气候变化(气温,降雨量)和人类活动(例如灌溉,地下水开采,植树造林)而改变了地下水的补给和排泄条件,进而导致地下水资源的数量,质量和时空分布发生了重大变化。本文介绍了中国干旱和半干旱地区相关问题的一些案例,挑战和机遇。

Resumo

As regiões áridas e semiáridas abrangem 75% das terras cultivadas da China. Estas regiões são fortemente dependentes de águas subterrâneas para abastecimento público, irrigação, indústria e produção de energia. Entender os processos de recarga e descarga é fundamental para gerenciar o desenvolvimento e uso sustentável dos recursos de águas subterrâneas. Recentemente a recarga e a descarga de águas subterrâneas tem sido impactadas pelas mudanças climáticas (temperatura do ar, chuvas) e atividades humanas (por exemplo, irrigação, bombeamento, reflorestamento), resultando em mudanças significativas na quantidade, qualidade e distribuição espaço-temporal dos recursos de águas subterrâneas. Este ensaio descreve alguns exemplos das questões, desafios e oportunidades associadas às áreas áridas e semiáridas da China.

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Acknowledgements

This essay was originally inspired by conversations of the authors with Dr. C.I. Voss at the International Workshop on Surface Water-Groundwater Interaction in Arid and Semi-arid region Meeting 2018 in Ningxia, China. We are grateful for the insightful comments and constructive suggestions from the editor.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U1603243, 41902249), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC0406504), Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi (Program No. 2019SF05-01), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities CHD (Nos. 300102290302, 300102299502).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region, Ministry of Education, Chang’an University, Chang’an, People’s Republic of China

    Wenke Wang, Zaiyong Zhang & Lei Duan

  2. Xi’an Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Xi’an, China

    Lihe Yin

  3. Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China

    Jinting Huang

Authors
  1. Wenke Wang
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  2. Zaiyong Zhang
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  3. Lihe Yin
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  4. Lei Duan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wenke Wang.

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This topical collection considers articles that bring together studies illustrating investigation methodologies (Zhang et al. 2021), modelling (Zhao et al. 2021; Wang et al. 2021a), and management (Li et al. 2021; Cui et al. 2021; Wang et al. 2021b) of groundwater recharge and discharge in the arid and semi-arid regions of China.

This article is part of the topical collection “Groundwater recharge and discharge in arid and semi-arid areas of China”

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Wang, W., Zhang, Z., Yin, L. et al. Topical Collection: Groundwater recharge and discharge in arid and semi-arid areas of China. Hydrogeol J 29, 521–524 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-021-02308-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-021-02308-0

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