Abstract
This work discussed the conditions for the successful implementation of managed aquifer recharge, with various case studies in Jordan. The motivation behind this study was that many managed aquifer projects have been implemented in Jordan without adequate studies and they have since failed. Examples from Jordan were provided to serve as an illustration of Middle Eastern and North African countries, with their semi-arid to arid climates and increasing demand for water. The methodology included the evaluation of the implemented managed aquifer projects in Jordan and whether they achieved success or failure in fulfilling the purposes of aquifer recharging, as well as to clarify the reasons for the failure or success. The results showed that a minimum level of study must be carried out before starting any artificial recharge projects, such as defining the aquifer parameters and the water quality evolution after recharge, in addition to understanding of the fate of the recharged water. Managed aquifer recharge can alleviate the impacts of climate change by making use of unused water, and in the case of Jordan, it can alleviate the implications of dropping groundwater levels.
Highlights
Global overexploitation of groundwater resources is gradually leading to aquifer depletion.In addition, climate change is negatively affecting certain areas of the globe, expressed by lower precipitation amounts and increasing temperatures
The Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) carried out a general evaluation study on artificial recharge, which included more than 70 potential sites in Jordan
For wadis discharging into the Red Sea, there is a very high potential for Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) projects at a distance of, at least, a few hundred meters upstream of the wadi discharge sites into the Sea, where the area consists of extended alluvial fans
Summary
Global overexploitation of groundwater resources is gradually leading to aquifer depletion. Overexploitation and climate change lead to two major physical impacts, i.e., aquifer depletion and groundwater quality degradation by the mobilization of saline water bodies. Both impacts lead to the degradation of available resources and rigorous negative implications for the supplies. In the Middle East, managed aquifer recharge has become a necessity within the integrated water management concepts that these countries are striving to achieve [18] This involves developing water resources from times of availability to times of need, thereby alleviating water supply problems, even as a measure to mitigate against climate change. We give examples of attempts at artificial aquifer recharge projects in Jordan, with some lessons learned that might be beneficial for similar projects in comparable hydrogeological and climatological settings, for example, in the Middle East and North Africa
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