Understanding Aquifers and Groundwater Management is Key to Sustainability of Water and Rivers

The understanding of aquifers, the management of groundwater, recharge and demand control is key to sustainability of water and rivers. In Bengaluru, India, a well was recently cleaned in order to help with groundwater recharge and recovery. This type of action is crucial for aquifers that are shallow or unconfined. Additionally, it is important to clean storm water drains leading to recharge wells in order to help create a groundwater bank that can be tapped into for later use. The importance of managing aquifers cannot be overstated. Not only do they provide an essential source of drinking water but they also act as a buffer against floods and droughts. They are able to store large amounts of water during wet periods which can then be released slowly during dry periods, helping maintain the flow in rivers even when there isn’t much rainfall. Groundwater management also helps protect our environment from pollution by reducing the amount of pollutants entering our waterways from agricultural runoff or industrial waste. By controlling how much water is taken out from an aquifer we can ensure that the amount taken out does not exceed what can be naturally replenished by rain or other sources such as streams or rivers. This helps prevent depletion which could lead to environmental damage such as decreased biodiversity or soil erosion due to reduced ground cover caused by lowered water tables. It is clear that proper understanding and management of aquifers, groundwater recharge and demand control are essential for sustainable use of our precious resources - both now and in the future - if we want our rivers to remain healthy ecosystems providing us with clean drinking water for generations to come.