Isotopic and Geochemical Approaches for Groundwater Assessment and Management
A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrogeology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 663
Special Issue Editors
Interests: hydro-geology; isotope hydrology; hydro-geochemistry; water resource management; social hydrology
Interests: circular economy; wastewater recycling; food waste recycling and plastic waste recycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Groundwater plays a pivotal role in sustaining ecosystem services, acting as a critical source of water for domestic use, agriculture, and industry, while also supporting baseflow in rivers, wetlands, and other ecological habitats. However, in recent decades, excessive extraction combined with diverse anthropogenic activities—such as unregulated pumping, industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and urban expansion—has resulted in significant degradation of both the quantity and quality of groundwater resources. This dual challenge threatens not only water security but also the ecological balance of the regions dependent on these subsurface reserves.
For sustainable groundwater resource management, it is imperative to develop a thorough understanding of the hydro-geochemical evolution of aquifer systems, as well as the recharge and discharge mechanisms that control their dynamics. In this context, hydro-geochemical and isotopic investigations—encompassing both stable and radioactive isotopes—have emerged as indispensable tools for integrated watershed research and management.
Isotopic techniques are particularly valuable in tracing the source and pathways of groundwater recharge, differentiating between modern and fossil water, and identifying the origins of contamination. They provide a time-integrated perspective on water movement and interactions within the hydrological cycle. Similarly, spatio-temporal hydro-geochemical analyses can reveal the types, sources, and concentrations of contaminants, alongside the natural geochemical processes influencing water chemistry. When applied together, these approaches offer a comprehensive understanding of groundwater evolution mechanisms, from recharge to eventual discharge, while quantifying the extent and drivers of degradation.
Furthermore, this framework is incomplete without considering the socio-hydrological dimension—the interactions between human activities, water availability, and management decisions. By integrating isotope and hydro-geochemical tools with socio-hydrological research, it becomes possible to formulate evidence-based policies and sustainable groundwater management plans that address both ecological needs and community priorities. Such an approach ensures that groundwater conservation strategies are scientifically robust, socially acceptable, and adaptable to changing climatic and socio-economic conditions.
In essence, coupling advanced scientific diagnostics with socio-hydrological insights creates a pathway toward resilient and sustainable groundwater governance, safeguarding both the natural environment and human well-being for generations to come.
Dr. Neeraj Pant
Dr. Dharmappa Hagare
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- hydrogeochemcial investigations
- groundwater contaminations
- isotope hydrology
- groundwater evolution
- social hydrology
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