Review: Groundwater resources and related environmental issues in China

• Published in: Hydrogeology journal Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 1325 - 1337
• Main Authors: Hao, Aibing, Zhang, Yilong, Zhang, Eryong, Li, Zhenghong, Yu, Juan, Wang, Huang, Yang, Jianfeng, Wang, Yao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Arid regions; Conservation; Distribution; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Environmental impact; Exploitation; Geology; Geophysics/Geodesy; Groundwater; Groundwater quality; Groundwater resources; Hydrogeology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Overexploitation; Plains; Population density; Spatial distribution; Surface water; Utilization; Waste Water Technology; Water consumption; Water demand; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water quality; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water resources; China; Groundwater protection; Groundwater development; Groundwater recharge; Overexploitation; China
• ISSN: 1431-2174; 1435-0157
• DOI: 10.1007/s10040-018-1787-1

As an important component of water resources, groundwater plays a crucial role in water utilization in China and an irreplaceable role in supporting economic and social development, especially in the northern arid and semi-arid plains and basin areas, which are densely populated and relatively short of surface-water resources. This paper comprehensively reviews and discusses the regional hydrogeological conditions, the temporal and spatial distribution of groundwater, the groundwater quality, and the actuality of groundwater exploitation and utilization in China. Meanwhile, aiming at the environmental problems induced by overexploitation to meet the sharply increasing water demand, this paper puts forward the major tasks for the next few years in terms of groundwater exploitation control, conservation and management.