Topical Collection: Groundwater recharge and discharge in arid and semi-arid areas of China

• Published in: Hydrogeology journal Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 521 - 524
• Main Authors: Wang, Wenke, Zhang, Zaiyong, Yin, Lihe, Duan, Lei, Huang, Jinting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air temperature; Aquatic Pollution; Arid regions; Arid zones; Climate change; Cultivated lands; Discharge; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Essay; Geology; Geophysics/Geodesy; Groundwater; Groundwater discharge; Groundwater irrigation; Groundwater recharge; Groundwater recharge and discharge in arid and semi-arid areas of China; Groundwater resources; Hydrogeology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Irrigation; Rain; Rainfall; Rainfall-climatic change relationships; Reforestation; Semi arid areas; Semiarid lands; Semiarid zones; Spatial distribution; Sustainable development; Sustainable use; Temporal distribution; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water resources; China; Groundwater recharge; Arid regions; China; Discharge
• ISSN: 1431-2174; 1435-0157
• DOI: 10.1007/s10040-021-02308-0

The arid and semi-arid regions within China host 75% of the country’s cultivated lands. These regions heavily rely on groundwater for drinking, irrigation, industry and energy production. Understanding recharge and discharge processes is critical to managing sustainable use and development of groundwater resources. Recently, groundwater recharge and discharge have been altered by climate change (air temperature, rainfall) and human activities (e.g. irrigation, pumping, reforestation), resulting in significant changes in the quantity, quality, and spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater resources. This essay describes some examples of the associated issues, challenges and opportunities in the arid and semi-arid areas of China.