Sustainable groundwater management is becoming increasingly important as growing societal demands, environmental pressures, and climate change place unprecedented stress on water resources. Ensuring the long-term availability of groundwater requires an integrated approach that considers water quantity, water quality, ecosystem preservation, and society's needs. Effective management strategies must therefore account for both natural processes and human impacts, while enhancing the resilience of groundwater-dependent systems under changing climatic conditions.
This session aims to bring together case studies and scientific contributions addressing the sustainable management and protection of groundwater resources. Contributions are invited on topics including, but not limited to: (i) the application of environmental tracers, hydrochemical methods, and isotopic techniques to investigate groundwater processes and anthropogenic impacts; (ii) groundwater and hydrogeological budget assessments for evaluating water availability and sustainability; (iii) approaches for preventing, managing, and mitigating groundwater degradation caused by overexploitation, contamination, competing water demands, and climate change; and (iv) the identification of key challenges, emerging pressures, and innovative solutions for groundwater governance and protection; and (v) studies applying the concept of regional groundwater flow systems to improve the understanding, assessment, and sustainable management of groundwater resources and groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Contributions covering local, regional, and continental-scale studies are welcome.
The session is co-organized by the Regional Groundwater Flow Commission (RGFC) of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH).