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Advances in Groundwater Resource Development: Innovative Methods and Technologies

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrogeology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 184

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Tianjin Center (North China Center for Geoscience Innovation), China Geological Survey (CGS), Tianjin 300170, China
Interests: arsenic; fluoride; iodine; isotope geochemistry; machine learning; coastal plain

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Guest Editor
School of Water Resources and Environment Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, China
Interests: hydrogeology; hydrogeochemistry; groundwater quality and pollution; health risk assessment; heavy metal pollution
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Groundwater provides drinking water for up to 50% of the global population and remains a critical resource for sustainable development. The quantity and quality of groundwater resources face significant challenges due to climate change, human activities, and natural geological processes. Understanding the complex interactions between groundwater, sediments, and various contaminants is crucial for effective resource management and protection.

Recent advances in hydrogeological research have led to innovative approaches in studying groundwater quantity and quality dynamics. Researchers are employing state-of-the-art technologies, including environmental tracers, isotope techniques, and artificial intelligence, to help us to better understand groundwater–sediment interactions, contaminant transport mechanisms, and aquifer recharge processes. These methods provide valuable insights into both the quantitative aspects of groundwater resources and the qualitative changes influenced by sediment–water interactions.

The role of sediments in groundwater systems is particularly significant, as they can act as both sources and sinks for various contaminants, affecting water quality while also influencing aquifer storage capacity and groundwater flow patterns. Advanced numerical modeling approaches, coupled with high-resolution monitoring systems, are enabling researchers to better understand these complex relationships and predict changes in both water quantity and quality under various environmental conditions.

This Special Issue of Water aims to focus on innovative methods and technologies in groundwater research, particularly emphasizing the interconnections between water quantity, quality, and sediment interactions. We aim to showcase cutting-edge research that addresses these critical aspects of groundwater resources, providing new perspectives and solutions for sustainable groundwater management and protection.

Dr. Zhuo Zhang
Dr. Adimalla Narsimha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • groundwater pollution
  • anthropogenic activities
  • heavy metal
  • microbial pollution
  • organic pollution
  • inorganic pollution
  • source apportionment
  • numerical simulation
  • machine learning
  • groundwater pollution remediation
  • health risk assessment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1884 KiB  
Article
A Procedure to Estimate Global Natural Recharge in Karst Aquifers
by Eugenio Sanz Pérez, Juan Carlos Mosquera-Feijóo, Joaquín Sanz de Ojeda and Ignacio Menéndez-Pidal
Water 2025, 17(12), 1779; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17121779 - 13 Jun 2025
Abstract
Natural recharge in karst aquifers is a key component of global water resources, yet its estimation remains challenging due to the complexity of karst hydrogeological processes. The recharge assessment deserves special consideration, especially in the current global climate and sustainability challenges. This study [...] Read more.
Natural recharge in karst aquifers is a key component of global water resources, yet its estimation remains challenging due to the complexity of karst hydrogeological processes. The recharge assessment deserves special consideration, especially in the current global climate and sustainability challenges. This study poses a methodology to appraise natural recharge rates in karst aquifers worldwide, drawing on climatic and geological data. In this regard, this study applies a methodology previously developed by two of the authors, in which natural recharge over large areas is considered a fixed fraction of precipitation, which varies according to different lithologies of similar hydrogeological behavior (hydro-lithological units). Given that carbonate rocks are known to have the highest recharge rate relative to precipitation (34.3%), the method builds on existing karst and average precipitation maps to calculate worldwide recharge in karst aquifers. Recharge is appraised at 4,381,063.7 hm3/yr, which represents 34.5% of the global groundwater resources, a percentage that indicates the importance of karst in this regard. Based on maps of recharge values worldwide, this study highlights the importance of carbonate aquifers when compared with assessments of the world’s groundwater resources made by international institutions or other types of aquifers. The method is contrasted with other ways of assessing groundwater resources used in diverse regions of Europe. The impact of different climate change scenarios on the natural recharge of these karst aquifers has also been analyzed. Thus, under a climate change scenario in 2050, it is estimated that natural recharge will be reduced by about 10%. Full article
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