Management of Aquifer Recharge and Subsurface Storage – Making Better Use of Our Largest Reservoir

Early 2001 the Netherlands Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists took the initiative to consult a group of prominent representatives from the Dutch hydrogeological community on the possibilities to emphasise the role of groundwater to battle today’s world water crisis. This took place in the aftermath of the 2nd World Water Forum held in The Hague in 2000, and a previous conference (September 2000), titled: «Evaluation and Protection of Groundwater Resources, From Vision to Action».

The discussion at the conference concluded that groundwater should receive more prominent attention at the 3rd World Water Forum in 2003 in Kyoto, Japan, than was the case at the 2nd World Water Forum. As a result the Netherlands Chapter decided to focus its activities in 2001–2003 on Management of Aquifer Recharge and Subsurface Storage (MAR-SSS). MAR-SSS is considered a promising option for the improvement of sustainable and integrated water resources management. When climate variability was selected as one of the central themes for the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, the Netherlands IAH Chapter decided to emphasise the importance of subsurface storage as a strategy to cope with increasing needs for storage due to climate change.

In the framework of these activities, the Netherlands IAH Chapter and the Netherlands Hydrological Society (NHV) organised a conference on «Recharge Enhancement and Subsurface Water Storage» held on 18 December 2002 in Wageningen, The Netherlands, followed by a seminar on 19 December in Heemstede and Amsterdam. The objective was to share our Dutch MAR-SSS experience with that of internationally recognised experts from countries where MAR-SSS plays a relevant role in achieving sustainable water use and management.

 

Presenters:

  • Dr Zoltan Simonffy (University of Budapest< Hungary) on induced bank infiltration
  • Dr Devinder K. Chadha (former chairman of the National Groundwater Board, India) on village level schemes
  • Mr Sam Mutiso (chairman SASOL, Kenya) on subsurface dams
  • Ing. Rubén Chávez Guillen (head, Groundwater Division, National Water Commission, Mexico) on artificial recharge through well injection
  • Mr Saif Al-Shaqsi (former director Water Resources - Ministry of Water Resources, Oman) on recharge dams
  • Mr Gideon Tredoux (SCIR, South Africa) on recharge dams and infiltration ponds

A publication contains the proceedings of the conference of 18 December 2002 and the conclusions and recommendations of both conference and seminar on 19 December as submitted to the International Secretariat of the Dialogue on Water and Climate.

 

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