Improving assessment of groundwater-resource sustainability with deterministic modelling: a case study of the semi-arid Musi sub-basin, South India

Amélioration de l’évaluation de la pérennité de la ressource en eau souterraine à l’aide d’une modélisation déterministe : cas du sous-bassin semi aride Musi, Inde du Sud

Mejora de la evaluación de la sustentabilidad del recurso de agua subterránea con un modelado determinístico: un caso de estudio de la subcuenca semiárida de Musi, Sur de India

Melhorando a avaliação da sustentabilidade dos recursos de água subterrânea por modelação determinística: um estudo de caso da sub-bacia semi-árida do Musi, Sul da Índia

Hydrogeology Journal volume 21, pages1567–1580(2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Since the 1990s, Indian farmers, supported by the government, have partially shifted from surface-water to groundwater irrigation in response to the uncertainty in surface-water availability. Water-management authorities only slowly began to consider sustainable use of groundwater resources as a prime concern. Now, a reliable integration of groundwater resources for water-allocation planning is needed to prevent aquifer overexploitation. Within the 11,000-km2 Musi River sub-basin (South India), human interventions have dramatically impacted the hard-rock aquifers, with a water-table drop of 0.18 m/a over the period 1989–2004. A fully distributed numerical groundwater model was successfully implemented at catchment scale. The model allowed two distinct conceptualizations of groundwater availability to be quantified: one that was linked to easily quantified fluxes, and one that was more expressive of long-term sustainability by taking account of all sources and sinks. Simulations showed that the latter implied 13 % less available groundwater for exploitation than did the former. In turn, this has major implications for the existing water-allocation modelling framework used to guide decision makers and water-resources managers worldwide.

Résumé

Depuis les années 1990, des agriculteurs indiens, aidés par le gouvernement, sont partiellement passés de l’irrigation par eau de surface à l’irrigation par eau de nappe en réponse à la disponibilité incertaine de l’eau de surface. Les autorités gestionnaires de l’eau ne commencent que lentement à considérer l’utilisation durable des ressources en eau souterraine comme une préoccupation primordiale. Aujourd’hui, une intégration fiable des ressources en eau souterraine dans un plan de répartition de l’eau est nécessaire pour prévenir une surexploitation de l’aquifère. Sur les 11,000 km2 du sous-bassin de la rivière Musi (Sud de l’Inde), les interventions humaines ont impacté de façon dramatique les aquifères du socle, avec un abaissement de la surface libre de la nappe de 0.18 m/an sur la période 1989–2004. Un modèle numérique de représentation de la nappe entièrement discrétisé a été utilisé avec succès à l’échelle du bassin versant. Le modèle permet deux conceptualisations distinctes de la disponibilité de l’eau de la nappe à quantifier : l’une est liée aux flux facilement quantifiés l’autre exprime mieux la durabilité sur le long terme, grâce à la prise en compte de toutes les sources et de toutes les pertes. Les simulations montrent que la dernière implique 13 % d’eau disponible de moins que la première. Corrélativement, ceci a une incidence majeure dans le cadre de la modélisation de la répartition d’eau existant, utilisé pour guider les décideurs et les gestionnaires des ressources en eau à travers le monde.

Resumen

Desde los años 1990, los agricultores de India, apoyados por el gobierno, se han desplazado parcialmente del riego con agua superficial al agua subterránea en respuesta a la incertidumbre de la disponibilidad de agua superficial. Las autoridades de manejo del agua solo lentamente comenzaron a considerar un uso sustentable de los recursos de agua subterránea como una preocupación primaria. Actualmente, se necesita una integración confiable de los recursos de agua subterránea en la planificación de la distribución del agua para prevenir la sobreexplotación de acuíferos. Dentro de los 11,000-km2 de la subcuenca del Río Musi (sur de India), las intervenciones humanas han impactado dramáticamente los acuíferos de rocas duras, con un descenso del nivel freático de 0.18 m/año durante el período 1989–2004. Se implementó exitosamente un modelo numérico de agua subterránea totalmente distribuido en la escala de cuenca. El modelo permitió cuantificar dos conceptualizaciones distintas de la disponibilidad de agua subterránea: una fue asociada a flujos fácilmente cuantificables, y una que fue más expresiva de la sustentabilidad a largo plazo teniendo en cuenta todas las fuentes y sumideros. Las simulaciones mostraron que esta última implicaba 13 % menos agua subterránea disponible de para la explotación de lo que arrojó la primera. A su vez, esto tiene grandes implicancias para la existencia del marco modelado de la distribución del agua usado para guiar los que toman las decisiones y a los que gestionan los recursos hídricos en todo el mundo.

Resumo

Desde os anos 90 que os agricultores da Índia, apoiados pelo governo, alteraram parcialmente as suas origens de água destinada a rega, de águas superficiais para águas subterrâneas, em resposta à incerteza na disponibilidade de recursos hídricos superficiais. Só muito lentamente as autoridades de gestão da água começaram a considerar o uso sustentável dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos como a sua principal preocupação. A fim de evitar a sobre-exploração dos aquíferos, é necessária uma integração fiável dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos no planeamento e gestão da água. Numa área de 11,000 km2, correspondente à extensão da sub-bacia do Rio Musi (Sul da Índia), as intervenções humanas têm afetado drasticamente os aquíferos de rochas fraturadas, com rebaixamentos da ordem de 0.18 m/ano durante o período 1989–2004. Foi implementado com sucesso, à escala de bacia, um modelo numérico de água subterrânea totalmente distribuído. O modelo permitiu simular duas conceções distintas de disponibilidade de água subterrânea para a sua quantificação: uma associada a fluxos facilmente quantificados e outra mais relacionada com a sustentabilidade a longo prazo, tendo em conta todas as fontes e sumidouros. As simulações mostraram que, nesta ultima conceção, 13 % das águas subterrâneas estavam menos disponíveis para exploração do que na primeira. Este facto tem implicações importantes para a estrutura de modelação de alocação de água existente, a qual é usada para orientar as tomadas de decisão dos gestores de recursos hídricos em todo o mundo.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) for their financial support of this project. This project was made possible thanks to the support and data provided by the Indian water authorities, especially the Andhra Pradesh state Ground Water and Minor Irrigation departments. The very constructive reviews of D. Feinstein, J. Gurwin and D. Gossel greatly improved the manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. International Water Management Institute, Hyderabad, India

    S. Massuel & S. Acharya

  2. UMR G-EAU (IRSTEA, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, ENGREF, IRD, SupAgro), BP434, 1004, Tunis, Tunisia

    S. Massuel

  3. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia

    B. A. George

  4. Irrigation &Water Engineering, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    J.-P. Venot

  5. International Water Management Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal

    L. Bharati

  6. School of Computer and Security Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, 6050, WA, Australia

    S. Acharya

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  1. S. Massuel
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  2. B. A. George
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  3. J.-P. Venot
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  4. L. Bharati
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  5. S. Acharya
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Correspondence to S. Massuel.

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Massuel, S., George, B.A., Venot, JP. et al. Improving assessment of groundwater-resource sustainability with deterministic modelling: a case study of the semi-arid Musi sub-basin, South India. Hydrogeol J 21, 1567–1580 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-013-1030-z

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Keywords

  • Numerical modelling
  • Groundwater management
  • Water supply
  • Hard-rock aquifer
  • India