Combined land-use and environmental factors for sustainable groundwater management

Sustainable groundwater management must take into consideration pollution sources and the potential of fluid percolation which could convey pollutants to the aquifer. The objective of this paper is to highlight the relationship between environmental factors and land-use types, and the adverse effects upon groundwater quality which may stem from that relationship. A clear understanding of the significant impact of land-use can generate guidelines for sustainable groundwater management. Appropriate conservation and remediation measures, could then be suggested, taking in consideration land-use and intensity of percolation potential from the ground surface to the water table. Guidelines for operational measures can be suggested to mitigate and correct adverse trends in groundwater quality. Integrated with such guidelines, planned land-use activities should harmonize with needs of both ecological and sustainable groundwater management. Two study areas located in different regions of Israel's coastal aquifer have been considered in this paper. Erez-Shiqma represents a pristine region, whilst the Ra'anana area represents a region suffering from significant eco-hydrological stress.