Current and Future Challenges in Groundwater. I: Modeling and Management of Resources

Groundwater, one of the world's most important natural resources, is under constant threat of exploitation with increasing population and economic development. Proper understanding and modeling of subsurface water movement has been an enduring challenge for hydrologists and practitioners. Current modeling efforts are plagued by the complex heterogeneity within the subsurface, reconciliation with spatial and temporal scales, and lack of supporting data. Long-term consequences of droughts in aquifers and efficient management of the available resources in arid and semiarid regions of the world deserve special attention. Assessing the potential impacts of climate change on groundwater is yet another long-term challenge that confounds both researchers and managers. With groundwater being likened to fossil fuels in some parts of the world, conservation and management of these resources have become imperative. Developing new models that account for uncertainties and provide more realistic assessment of predictive capabilities is needed for devising effective management practices. Current data acquisition techniques need to be improved for reliable modeling and impact studies. In this paper, some of these major challenges in groundwater hydrology are discussed, and their possible implications are presented. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.