Regional Water Resources Research Articles

Comprehensive analysis of spatiotemporal variability of rainfall-based extremes and their implications on agriculture in the Upper Ganga Command Area.

The agricultural sector in India primarily relieson monsoon rains, making it necessary for agricultural water managers to study variations in water availability by analyzing rainfall patterns. This information is critical for deciding cropping patterns and irrigation approaches, managing water resources, and improving crop water productivity. The long-term spatiotemporal variability over the command area, India Meteorological Department (IMD) based selection of thresholds for extremes indices, and thorough analysis of the consequences of extreme on agriculture make the study unique. These aspects collectively enhance the perception of the climate-agriculture relationship, which is essential for promoting agriculture resilience under changing rainfall patterns. This type of research is very limited in the literature. Therefore, the present study focuses on comprehensively analyzing the spatiotemporal variability of rainfall and extreme precipitation indices and their implications on agriculture. The study is carried out in the UpperGanga Command Area (UGCA), India's oldest irrigation canal system, by using long-term (1901-2021) high-resolution (0.25 × 0.25°) daily rainfall gridded data obtained from IMD, Pune. Eight different extreme rainfall indices are used to assess spatiotemporal variations. The Mann-Whitney-Pettitt test identified 1970 as a significant change point. Rainfall trends and extreme indices for pre- and post-1970 periods were examined using the non-parametric modified Mann-Kendall test. The results show significant increases in rainfall trends for the annual, monsoon, and kharif seasons from 1901 to 1970, but significant decreases were observed during 1971-2021. This difference resulted in a noticeable decrease in average precipitation in the latter period, approximately 62mm less than in 1901-1970. Similarly, extreme precipitation indices, including the number of rainy days (NxRainy), consecutive dry days (CWD), simple daily intensity index (SDII), and total precipitation (PRCPTOT), exhibited increasing trends in 1901-1970, but they showed significant decreasing trends in 1971-2021. In addition, there is a strong positive correlation between these indices and total precipitation. The study also found that geographical factors influence these trends, with all indices, except SDII, strongly correlated with latitude and elevation, but not with longitude. The implications of these negative rainfall and extreme rainfall trends were further analyzed, and the results indicate a significant impact on the cropping patterns in the study area. The present research findings will be beneficial for regional water resource managers and policymakers in better understanding the existing trends in rainfall distribution over the UGCA.

Development and Evaluation of a Cloud-Gap-Filled MODIS Normalized Difference Snow Index Product over High Mountain Asia

Accurate snow cover data are critical for understanding the Earth’s climate system, and exploring hydrological processes and regional water resource management over High Mountain Asia (HMA). However, satellite-based remote sensing observations of snow cover have inevitable data gaps originating from cloud cover, sensor, orbital limitations and other factors. Here an effective cloud-gap-filled (CGF) method was developed to fully fill the data gaps in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference snow index (NDSI) product. The CGF method combines the respective strengths of the cubic spline interpolation method and the spatio-temporal weighted method for generating the CGF Terra-Aqua MODIS NDSI product over HMA from 2000 to 2021. Based on the validation results of in situ snow-depth observations, the CGF NDSI product achieves a high range overall accuracy (OA) of 93.54–98.08%, a low range underestimation error (MU) of 0.15–3.49% and an acceptable range overestimation error (MO) of 0.84–5.77%. Based on the validation results of high-resolution Landsat images, this product achieves the OA of 88.52–92.40%, the omission error (OE) of 1.42–10.28% and the commission error (CE) of 5.97–17.58%. The CGF MODIS NDSI product can provide scientific support for eco-environment sustainable management in the high mountain region.

Assessment of rock glaciers and their water storage in Guokalariju, Tibetan Plateau

Abstract. Rock glaciers are important hydrological reserves in arid and semi-arid regions. Their activity states can indicate the existence of permafrost. To help further explore the development mechanisms of rock glaciers in semi-arid and humid transition regions, this paper provides a detailed rock glacier inventory of the Guokalariju (also known as Goikarla Rigyu) area of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) using a manual visual interpretation of Google Earth Pro remote sensing imagery. We also estimated the water volume equivalent (WVEQ) in the study area for the first time. Approximately 5057 rock glaciers were identified, covering a total area of ∼404.69 km2. Rock glaciers are unevenly distributed within the three sub-regions from west to east, with 80 % of them concentrated in the central region, where climatic and topographic conditions are most favorable. Under the same ground temperature conditions, increases in precipitation are conducive to rock glaciers forming at lower altitudes. Indeed, the lower limit of rock glaciers' mean altitude decreased eastward with increasing precipitation. Estimates of the water storage capacity of rock glaciers obtained by applying different methods varied considerably, but all showed the potential hydrological value of rock glaciers. The possible water storage in the subsurface ice of rock glacier permafrost was 1.32–3.60 km3. The ratio between the amount of subsurface ice stored in rock glaciers and surface ice stored in local glaciers falls within the range of 1:2.32 to 1:1.26, with an average ratio of 1:1.69. In the west region, where the climate is the driest, the water storage capacity of rock glaciers was estimated to be up to twice as large as that of the sub-region's glaciers. Changes in water resources and permafrost stability in the area where rock glaciers occur will have implications for regional water resource management, disaster prevention, and sustainable development strategies.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS OF USE AND CONSERVATION OF WATER RESOURCES IN ZHYTOMYR REGION

The water resources of Zhytomyr region are an important national asset, the condition of which affects people's health, economic development and the "good" environmental condition of the region. The current state of water resources in Zhytomyr region is of some concern due to a number of challenges, including: water pollution with organic materials, nutrients and toxic elements due to incomplete or no wastewater treatment, leaching of pollutants from agricultural land and plastic waste. The challenges also include limited access to quality drinking water in some regions, underdeveloped water supply and sanitation systems, unregulated water consumption and violations of water protection regulations, and hydromorphological changes related to hydropower and water flow regulation, including problems with coastal protection zones and water protection zones, as well as the effects of climate change, including floods and droughts.Taking this into consideration, conducting a SWOT analysis for the use and conservation of water resources in Zhytomyr region gets a particular relevance. The purpose of the study is to conduct a SWOT analysis that will not only allow a deeper analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the regional water management system, but also to identify potential opportunities for improvement and risk reduction. The SWOT analysis will serve as the basis for developing strategies that will promote the conservation and rational use of water resources, strengthen the environmental well-being of the region, and ensure sustainable economic development and public health in Zhytomyr Region.

An integrated analysis framework towards identifying circulation relationship of water-energy-carbon in complex system: A case study in Shandong Province

Comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship among water, energy, and carbon emissions (WEC) is crucial for achieving socio-economic structural transformation and regional sustainable development. It represents a complex systemic undertaking that necessitates coordinated efforts across multiple domains and requires intricate planning and balancing. However, as the relationships between regional water resources, energy, and carbon emissions become increasingly acute, systematically examining the circulating relationships of a typical regional Water-Energy-Carbon system under changing conditions is still a challenge for regional sustainable development. In this study, we propose an integrated framework by jointly employing the Environmental Input-Output model and Structural Path analysis to assess the embodied intensities and circulation characteristics of WEC in Shandong Province, a major energy-consuming province in China. The results indicate that in 2017, the industries with the highest embodied WEC intensities are water production and supply industry (224.36 m3/10,000 CNY), coal mining and washing industry (1.66 tce/10,000 CNY), and transportation, postal, and telecommunication industry (2.36 tons/10,000 CNY). During the study period, most industries exhibited decreasing trends in embodied WEC intensities. Notably, the energy intensity and carbon intensity showed a certain positive correlation. For Shandong Province, both the embodied WEC trade flows in 2012 and 2017 demonstrated net inflows. The changes in embodied energy consumption and carbon emissions end consumption were minor, whereas the terminal demand for water resources decreased by 10.3 billion cubic meters, with urban consumption being its main form. Agriculture serves as the largest sector for embodied water transfer and trade-in, while the construction industry is the primary sector for energy and carbon transfer and trade, with 98 % of the construction industry's embodied quantity used for fixed capital formation. This study contributes to bridge the gap in regional resource management and provides a scientific basis to make policy on water conservation, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction.

Tropical Mountain Peatlands from Southern Espinhaço Range, Brazil: Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction

Peatlands are transition ecosystems between terrestrial and aquatic environments, formed over time and space by the accumulation of plant materials under conditions of excessive moisture, low nutrient availability, low pH and oxygen scarcity, in which organic matter undergoes slow processes of humification. Peatland ecosystems from the Southern Espinhaço Range (SdEM), located in the State of Minas Gerais, were formed by the sui generis combination of environmental factors, setting the stage for their vast biodiversity, endemic and peculiar. For thousands of years these ecosystems have been developing, preserving proxies for environmental reconstitution, sequestering more and more carbon, and increasing their capacity to store water (spongelike effect) and regulate the water discharge from streams. Environmental reconstruction studies carried out in these ecosystems have revealed various regional paleoclimatic changes in the last 35,000 years. The carbon stock sequestered is 8.7 Mt, and 255 million m3 of water are stored in 25,385 hectares of these peatlands. These ecosystems constitute the headwaters of the most important rivers in Eastern Brazil: the São Francisco, Jequitinhonha, and Doce River basins, and regulate their flows during the dry season. However, peatlands located outside of conservation units are threatened by human activity. The Long-Term Ecological Research Program “Peatlands of the Southern Espinhaço Range: Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity” (PELDturf; funded by National Council of Scientific and Technologic Development - CNPq and Minas Gerais State Research Support Foundation - Fapemig), initiated in 2021, has intensified the characterization and monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem services of peatlands. The results of two decades of research have revealed the importance of these ecosystems for biodiversity, the global carbon cycle, regional water resources, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. It has also become evident that the rapid degradation of these ecosystems, mainly caused by human activity, can irreversibly compromise their ecosystem services, biodiversity, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction studies in the medium term. Therefore, it is imperative to empower local and regional communities regarding the importance of peatland ecosystems for the environment, socio-economy, and quality of life for their populations, as well as for the planet.

Adapting reservoir operation to climate change in regions with long-term hydrologic persistence

Large-scale climate variability patterns such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence the hydrology and hence affect the management of water resources in numerous regions around the globe. The presence of multiyear drought and wet periods is already challenging as these long, extreme, events tend to stress water resources systems much more than multiple, isolated, ones. This manuscript presents a variant of a hydrologically-driven approach to assess the performance of large-scale water resources systems in regions where the long-term persistence that characterizes the flow regime is likely to be affected by climate change. This approach comprises several steps including the construction of a large ensemble of hydrological projections which are bias-corrected in the frequency domain to account for the long-term persistence; the clustering of these projections based on hydrologic attributes to identify likely alterations of the flow regime; and the use of an optimization model to derive allocation policies tailored to identified alterations of the flow regime. The proposed approach is tested on the Senegal River basin which has experienced multiyear dry, normal, and wet periods in the past. The analysis of allocation policies highlights the relevance of climate-tailored policies in adapting to climate change, with climate tailored policies yielding moderate gains under the most extreme alterations, while they remain meaningful under more moderate ones.

Overview of Sustainable Drip Irrigation Systems in Central Asia

Water scarcity is becoming an increasingly acute problem around the world, especially in the field of agriculture. Different kinds of irrigation system, e.g., drip irrigation, are developed and actively introduced to save water resources in arid regions. The study aims to review articles devoted to the implementation of drip irrigation systems in Central Asia countries. The array of the studies was retrieved from Scopus database for the 17-year period between 2007 and 2023 and totalled 32 articles. For the purpose of the study, all publications were categorized in several groups. Publications in scholarly journals were listed by publication numbers and citations. Relevant articles concentrated on drip irrigation in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. To specify the regions the articles originated from, two maps were drawn: the first one is for Kazakhstan with regions and the second one for Uzbekistan. All the publications were reviewed by their methodology and received some feedbacks. The article researched regions of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and gave recommendations on the implementation of drip irrigation systems in regions of the two countries.

Vegetation and inundation characteristics of waterbird breeding sites in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia

Context The Murray–Darling Basin serves as a crucial habitat for aggregating waterbirds; however, decades of large-scale regulation of rivers and water resources have adversely affected waterbird breeding in the Basin. Aims To understand the characteristics of wetlands that attract and support aggregating waterbirds, focusing on identifying environmental conditions conducive to waterbird breeding. Methods In total, 52 wetland sites across the Murray–Darling Basin, with high waterbird abundances, were identified, of which 26 supported waterbird breeding. Classification models were developed using temporally static and dynamic environmental datasets to discern wetland characteristics associated with waterbird breeding. Key results Analyses showed that wetlands supporting waterbird breeding contained a maximum inundated area of ‘other shrublands’ exceeding 3.635 km2 and variation in normalised difference vegetation index, possibly reflective of a ‘boom and bust’ ecological response. Conclusions Understanding the habitat requirements of wetlands to prompt waterbird breeding is critical for effective environmental water management and conservation strategies. Implications Targeted wetland management and environmental water allocation to support waterbird breeding populations in the Murray–Darling Basin is essential for continued waterbird breeding. There is a need for continued research to refine management strategies and ensure the long-term sustainability of waterbird populations in the face of ongoing environmental challenges.

Effective regulation of water resources in the regions: Technologies, strategies and innovations

Water resources management is a critical issue for sustainable regional development. The main objective of this study was to analyze water degradation problems and identify necessary technological solutions for rational and sustainable water resources management at the regional level. Systematic methods of analysis, comparative analysis, and modeling were applied. The results indicate that introducing an integrated approach to water resources management, combined with advanced water-saving technologies, can effectively address water scarcity issues and contribute to sustainable regional development. The study showed that successful implementation of sustainable water management strategies requires close inter-regional and inter-sectoral cooperation, active involvement of all stakeholders, and the ability to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Thus, it is necessary to develop and implement regional strategies for rational water use that consider local specifics and the needs of relevant territories.

Influence of below‐cloud evaporation on stable isotopes of precipitation in the Yellow River source region

AbstractThe study of below‐cloud evaporation effects under clouds in the Yellow River source region is of great significance for regional water resource generation as well as for water resource security in the arid and semi‐arid regions of northern China. In this study, we quantitatively assessed the evapotranspiration effect in the Yellow River source region from March to November based on the improved Stewart model. The study concluded that: (1) below‐cloud evaporation was slightly higher in summer than in other seasons (residual fractions of raindrop evaporation were 80.57% in summer, 81.12% in spring, and 84.2% in autumn, respectively); and (2) sub‐cloud evaporation diminishes with increasing altitude (residual fractions of raindrop evaporation were 83.09% in the western part of the area, 81.82% in the central part of the area, and 81.36% in the eastern part of the area, respectively). (3) The total linear index between study areas f and ∆d is 2.24, where f > 95%, it is 1.19; that is, the evaporation of raindrops increases by 1% and the reduction in the excess of mercury by about 2‰. (4) Local meteorological factors (temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity) and raindrop diameter have a cross‐influence on below‐cloud evaporation, with relative humidity having the most significant effect, with the highest correlation coefficient of 3.03 when relative humidity is less than 70%. The results of the study can provide a parameter basis for hydrological and climatic models in the Yellow River Basin.

Assessment of regional water resource carrying capacity by the connection number of set pair analysis

In order to evaluate regional water resource carrying capacity, the subtraction set pair analysis is adopted to calculate the connection number, and an evaluation model of the regional water resource carrying capacity based on quadratic subtraction set pair potential is established. The model is applied to assess the water resource carrying capacity of 16 cities in Anhui province, China, 2015. The results show that the water resource carrying capacity was sever throughout the province in 2015. Specifically, the carrying capacity in southern part of An-hui province was better than that in the northern part. The main factor of water resource carrying status varied in different cities.

Regional water resources assets accounting based on cyclic coupling perspective

Regional water resources assets accounting based on cyclic coupling perspective

Assessment of Groundwater Recharge Using WetSpass-M and MODFLOW Coupling in Jedeb Watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Currently, the demand for water is rising, and as a result, the groundwater is declining. Water supplies are not sufficient for agricultural productivity, environmental preservation, or ecosystem services, resulting in an unbalanced water budget in the basin. The goal of this paper is to assess the groundwater recharge in the Jedeb sub-basin using WetSpass-MODFLOW coupling. A spatially distributed water balance model is developed to simulate long-term average recharge depending on land cover, soil texture, topography, and hydro meteorological parameters. The groundwater model is iteratively connected to the recharge model in order to simulate recharge. This means that the depth of the groundwater affects the recharge estimate and vice versa. The average yearly evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and groundwater recharge were determined using WetSpass-M to be 574, 898, and 99 mm, respectively. Groundwater recharge accounted for 6.3% of precipitation, while actual evapotranspiration and surface runoff accounted for 36.4% and 57% of precipitation, respectively. In such seasonal variations, the groundwater level in the Jedeb Sub-basin was studied under various stress conditions (dry season, wet season, and annually). The groundwater level distribution varied from 2,052.3 to 3,063.06 m in the summer stress period (recharge). While in the winter stress period (recharge), the groundwater level varied from 2,051.41 to 3,061.92 m, and the groundwater level due to the annual stress period (recharge) varied from 2,053.76 to 3,064.5 m. With a correlation coefficient of .89, which is an acceptable fit between the simulated and observed heads in steady state for all stress periods (summer, winter, and annual recharge). The contribution of this study could be used as baseline information for regional water resource experts, policymakers, and researchers for further investigation.

2009–2016年中国农业大学石羊河实验站玉米日耗水量数据集

A good understanding of the variation in crop water consumption in farming systems is essential for studying the patterns of water consumption by crops at various growth stages. Based on this, this dataset provides the maize evaporation and precipitation intensity data measured by a large-scale lysimeter at Shiyanghe Experimental Station of China Agricultural University from 2009 to 2016, with a temporal resolution of daily scale. The irrigation method is border irrigation. The data acquisition and processing process strictly follows the instrumental data quality control and specifications. After data processing, quality control and evaluation, the data are made public on a daily scale with a view to providing a basis for the efficient use of regional agricultural water resources.

Simulation and analysis of hydraulic transition process based on mechanical hydraulics.

With the scarcity of water resources in various regions, the pressure on water supply projects is also increasing, which has led to a sharp increase in the water hammer effect in water supply pump projects. In response to this issue, the study proposes to apply a unidirectional pressure regulating tower based on mechanical hydraulic technology to water hammer protection in water supply pumps. In addition, the study also optimizes the calculation method of water hammer and designs one simulation software, which is used to simulate and analyze the proposed water hammer protection measures. The study first determines through simulation software that the optimal initial water level of the unidirectional pressure regulating tower is 2m and the optimal diameter of the make-up water pipe is 600 mm. Afterwards, simulation analysis is conducted on different water hammer protection measures, and it is found that the maximum pressure of the water hammer under the proposed protection measures is the lowest, at 14.8m, which was lower than the comparison measures. In addition, according to expert ratings, the average protective effect rating of protective measure 1 by relevant technical personnel is 9.4 points, which is better than the comparative measure. The above results indicate that through the simulation analysis of hydraulic transition process based on mechanical hydraulics, it can be found that the water hammer protection measures proposed in the study have good protective functions and can effectively reduce the water hammer effect in water supply engineering.

The age and sources of stream water in a boreal forest watershed in the permafrost region: a case study of a watershed in northeast China

Determining the age and sources of stream water is critical for understanding the watershed hydrological processes and biogeochemical cycle. In this study, daily isotope data of rainfall and runoff, as well as continuously monitored conductivity data from June to October in 2019 in-Laoyeling(LYL) watershed located in permafrost region of northeastern China were used to separate streamflow components through the application of two independent methods: isotope-based hydrograph separations (IHS) and the conductivity mass balance (CMB) methods. The results showed that stream water in a boreal forest watershed with permafrost of the Daxing’an Mountains is mainly composed of pre-event water. Although the IHS method is more sensitive and provides more details than the CMB method, the results of both methods show a similar trend. The average value of the young water fractions (Fyw) for those aged less than 65 days is 5.6%, while the mean transit time (MTT) was calculated to be 3.33 years. These findings enhance our understanding of the fundamental characteristics of runoff generation mechanisms and changes in runoff components in permafrost regions. Such knowledge is crucial for effective regional water resource management under the context of climate change, such as construction of water conservancy facilities and prediction of flood and drought disasters.

Rapid mass losses of Urumqi River Basin glaciers, eastern Tianshan Mountains revealed from multi-temporal DEMs, 1964–2021

ABSTRACT Glacier volume changes have remarkable impacts on regional water resources; however, their estimation uncertainties remain large. In this study, the surface elevations of seven glaciers at the headwaters of the Urumqi River exhibited obvious thinning at the rate of 0.32 m a−1 from 1964 to 2021. Correlations between the ice volume change (dV) derived from surface elevation conversion and the area change (dS) were established for valley, cirque, and hanging glaciers. The ice volumes of valley, cirque, and hanging glaciers in the Urumqi River Basin decreased by 0.99 km3, 0.18 km3, and 0.59 km3, respectively, and the total ice volume decreased by 1.76 km3 during 1964–2021. Ice volume losses are accelerating. The correlation between dV and dS for valley glaciers produced a large estimation difference for the ice volume change of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 (UG1) compared with the glaciological mass balance (15%), while the estimation differences of ice volume changes for the three types of glaciers in the Urumqi River Basin were within acceptable limits (10%) based on the geodetic results. This new method has vast potential in estimating ice volume changes at the basin or regional scale, or even across western China.

Can a Water Bank Improve Groundwater Rights Market Efficiency?—A Study Based on Monte Carlo Simulations

Groundwater possesses a natural advantage as a reservoir, making it well-suited for storage. Introducing a water bank to the groundwater market not only reduces storage costs but also revitalizes the groundwater rights market, achieving synergy between the economic and ecological values of regional water resources. This study combines the core functions of a water bank to establish a theoretical framework for mechanisms concerning value appreciation and risk prevention. Approaching the topic from the perspectives of transaction costs and market price mechanisms, we employ the Monte Carlo algorithm for simulation to study the mechanistic impact of a water bank on the efficiency of the water market. It reveals that a water bank, compared to direct transactions between parties, can effectively reduce the number of transactions in the fragmented water rights market. Additionally, it effectively utilizes market transaction information to provide accurate pricing. Furthermore, we alter model parameters to explore the relationship between the average number of transactions in the market and supply–demand equilibrium. We also investigate how changes in the acceptable price range in the supply–demand market affect the pricing strategies of a water bank and open market pricing. These findings substantiate the necessity of developing a water bank in practice.

GROUNDWATER OF VOLYN REGION: CONDITIONS OF LOCATION, FEATURES OF USE, WAYS OF PRESERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT

Water is a vital resource that sustains life on our planet. However, its distribution is uneven, leading to water scarcity in some areas and excess in others. Human activities further exacerbate the reduction of usable water volume. It is predicted that water scarcity may become a significant factor in conflicts of the 21st century. Groundwater serves as a primary source of water and is classified as an exhaustible renewable natural resource. However, the replenishment of groundwater occurs at a slow rate. Given the global water scarcity issue, there is a pressing need for comprehensive research on groundwater, particularly at local and regional levels. Therefore, this article focuses on investigating the underground water resources in the Volyn region, including their occurrence, and analyzing their utilization by the local population and regional economy. The article provides a detailed description of aquifers of various geological ages in the Volyn region, including their occurrence patterns and distribution boundaries. The study examines the specific locations of each aquifer in relation to the geological structure of the area, following a geochronological sequence. Additionally, the article investigates mineralized underground waters, noting that the most prevalent types are chloride-sodium, sulfate, sodium, and hydrogen carbonate-chloride calcium waters. The study focused on the period from 2015 to 2020 to assess the current status of groundwater and identify trends in water resource utilization. The research revealed a consistent increase in the proportion of underground water in overall water usage. Surprisingly, however, the actual volume of water extracted from underground sources has been decreasing. The study examined the dynamics of water usage by various industries. It was determined that the housing and communal sector was the largest consumer of water during the study period, mainly due to the region's limited economic development and correspondingly low water demands from other sectors. Analysis showed that, on average, 25.8% and 21.3% of the total water withdrawals were utilized for industrial and agricultural purposes, respectively. Irrigation and fisheries represented the smallest water-consuming activities, accounting for 9.5% and 6.5%, respectively. Notably, a significant portion of water intake, approximately 13%, was attributed to transportation purposes. To ensure the rational utilization, preservation, and enhancement of groundwater quality, several measures have been recommended. These measures include the implementation of water-saving and waterfree technologies in industrial processes, adopting reversible water usage practices, and upgrading water supply systems to improve efficiency. To safeguard and improve the quality of underground water, it is essential to upgrade treatment facilities in communal enterprises, implement rainwater and sewage treatment systems, promote the responsible use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, among other practices. These actions aim to optimize water usage, mitigate pollution, and enhance the overall management of groundwater resources. The article represents a significant contribution as it provides a comprehensive description of the characteristics of underground aquifers in relation to the geological structure of the Volyn region. It establishes the distribution boundaries of underground waters of different geological ages within the region, offering valuable insights. The creation of a modern geochronological scale during the research adds further value to the study. The article also sheds light on the utilization of water resources by various economic sectors during the specified period (2015–2020), highlighting important trends. The proposed measures for preserving water resources and improving their quality demonstrate a practical approach. The research findings can serve as a valuable resource for the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Volyn Regional State Administration in their efforts to develop regional environmental programs.