Abstract
In South Africa, approximately 98% of the predicted total surface water resources are already being used up. Consequently, the National Water Resource Strategy considers groundwater to be important for the future planning and management of water resources. In this case, quantifying groundwater budgets is a prerequisite because they provide a means for evaluating the availability and sustainability of a water supply. This study estimated the regional groundwater budgets for the Inkomati-Usuthu Water Management Area (Usuthu, Komati, Sabie-Sand, and Crocodile) using the classical hydrological continuity equation. The equation was used to describe prevailing feedback loops between groundwater draft, recharge, baseflow, and storage change. The results were coarser scale estimates which, beforehand, were derived from the 2006 study. In the years to follow, groundwater reliance intensified and there was also the historic 2015/2016 drought. This inevitably led to an increased draft while the rest of the components of the groundwater budgets experienced decreases. Both Crocodile and Sabie-Sand experienced groundwater storage depletion which led to reduced baseflow and groundwater availability, while groundwater recharge contrarily increased due to capture. Conversely, the other two catchments experienced relatively lower drafts with correspondingly higher groundwater availability and recharge while storage change was positive. The results highlighted the need for adaptive water management whose effectiveness relies on predictive studies. Consequently, future models should be developed to capture the spatial and temporal dynamism of the natural groundwater budget due to climate change, water demands, and population growth predictions.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.