Abstract
Waterlogging is an acute problem in the agricultural areas of arid regions. This study highlights the main reasons for water table rise in the Wafra agriculture area of South Kuwait. A two-tier aquifer system exists in the area, which consists of the Kuwait Group aquifer underlain by a semi-confined Dammam aquifer. Improper sealing of wells tapping the semi-confined Dammam aquifer and over-irrigation were the main reasons for water level rise, and an increase in total dissolved solids was due to high evaporation of brackish water used for irrigation in the area. Other issues such as thin soil cover, topographic variation, and geomorphology within the area play an interactive role in the development of salt crusts on the ground surface. The key solution to the problem lies with proper well design and irrigation management. The sealing of the wells tapping the Dammam Formation has resulted in the lowering of the water level, which has allowed the reclamation of farms. For sustainable management of the Wafra agriculture area, it is observed that only the Kuwait Group aquifer should be utilized for irrigation, dewatering should be carried out in selective low-lying areas, and the adoption of best irrigation practices can be the only way for sustainable agriculture development in the area. The use of tertiary-treated wastewater, along with groundwater from the Kuwait Group (KG) aquifer, can be a solution to sustain agriculture. The crop water requirement should be considered for irrigation application while using best practices such as drip irrigation.
Highlights
The strategic decision of Kuwait to achieve partial food security led to the establishment of three agricultural areas (Wafra in the south, Sulabiya in center, and Abdalli in the north of Kuwait) since the early 1970s
Based on the investigation carried out, it is clear that the problem in the Wafra agricultural area is multifaceted
The most conspicuous issue related to the water level rise in Wafra was the usage of 650+ Dammam Formation wells
Summary
The strategic decision of Kuwait to achieve partial food security led to the establishment of three agricultural areas (Wafra in the south, Sulabiya in center, and Abdalli in the north of Kuwait) since the early 1970s. Agriculture in Wafra started in the 1970s, with the establishment of 127 farms covering an area of 1125 ha with 100 wells in 1976, to 1673 farms covering over 37,500 ha and 2119 wells in 2008 [1]. Most of the wells in Wafra were tapping the Dammam aquifer in the absence of a well-established policy and guidelines for the design and construction of wells in agricultural farms. Similar observations have been made in other irrigated agriculture areas in arid regions [2,3,4] Factors such as soil thickness [5,6], soil type, geology, and geomorphology play significant and interactiSvusetairnoablielitsy 2[031,77, ,98, 2]13i1n aggravating the waterlogging and salinization problems in 2aogf r1i2culture areas.
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