Design of Sustainable Use and Management of Groundwater in Morobe Province

Abstract

In the near future, Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea may experience a scarcity of water which is needed to meet the population and industrial needs in Lae City, the country’s industrial hub and the gateway to the Highlands Provinces. This paper offers a wide review concerning studies related to groundwater resources in Morobe Province through the identification of the aquifer, wells, pumping stations and the chemical composition of the underground water. The aim of the study is to prevent the continuous depletion of groundwater resources and to sustain the aquifer usefulness in the development process in a manner that is adaptable to the prevailing economic, social, climatic, as well as hydrological conditions. This is necessary as rainfall patterns in Papua New Guinea are changing due to climatic changes and this affects the groundwater reservoir. The result shows that there is a need to keep the underground water sustainable because of the low water table that is already present in some areas of the province. The only surcharge is the rainfall that occurs in the province. Since this may be altered due to climatic changes, design and planning for sustainable use and management of groundwater such as artificial surcharge is important to prevent the depletion.