Finding Groundwater

This presentation by ACWADAM on aquifers states that a systematic approach to groundwater studies is required to understand how water exists in each type of rock or sediment for which hydrogeological mapping of aquifers becomes significant in every watershed programme. The necessity of studying the scientific aspects of groundwater such as its properties and distribution below the earth’s surface is highlighted.

This presentation by ACWADAM on processes that shape the earth attempts to understand the irregularities of the surface of earth so as to consider the movement of groundwater. The earth’s surface is dotted with what is commonly perceived as high grounds or ‘hills’ and the low grounds or ‘valleys’. Hills and valleys result from movements in the earth and the long term processes of breaking-down the earth surface at some places and building it up at others, also called as diastrophism.  

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with groundwater modeling using the Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) model. WEAP is a microcomputer tool for integrated water resources planning and operates on the basic principle of a water balance. WEAP is distinguished by its integrated approach to simulating water systems and by its policy orientation. It provides a comprehensive, flexible and user-friendly framework for policy analysis.

This presentation by ACWADAM on earth sciences in watershed management shows how the occurrence of water within a watershed is governed by the rock types occurring both at the surface and within the subsurface, their sequence and their structure. The presentation deals with the basic components involved in the mapping of a watershed –

• The type of rocks (lithology), and
• The structure (whether these are folded, faulted, fractured, jointed etc.,)

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with the structure of the sub-surface. The lithology and structure of rocks together define the geometric framework for the movement of groundwater. To some extent, these factors also govern the movement of surface water too. In other words, the physical environment of rocks and rock material hosts water, and hence, controls its accumulation and flow in the watershed.

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with the importance of groundwater. It is well-known fact that groundwater forms a very crucial source of water supply in the national scenario on water resources today. And yet, it continues to remain a resource that is both abused and misused. Often, watershed projects suffer from insufficient inputs, especially hydrogeological to address the problem(s) of groundwater within the watersheds.

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with groundwater typologies in India. The typology of groundwater can be defined in many ways based on a) Uses of Groundwater, b) Geography, c) Geology, d) Hydrogeology (Aquifers), e) Groundwater Quality, f) Stage of Groundwater Development, and g) Socio-ecology of Groundwater.

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with geological mapping. The occurrence of water within a watershed is governed by the rock types occurring both at the surface and within the subsurface, their sequence and their structure. The physical structure which plays host to the water within the watershed is geological. Every watershed programme must therefore include a fundamental understanding of this framework so that the development and management measures planned through such programmes are meaningful and properly justified technically.

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with the issue of groundwater management under the climate change scenario in India. Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. The causes are -variations in solar radiations, plate tectonics, volcanism and change in earths orbit & axis.

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with hydrologic properties of the rock framework in which groundwater occurs and through which it moves. In watershed programmes, it is necessary to develop a correct understanding of the storage and transmission of water within such channels because the shape of openings in a rock or sediment, their size, volume and interconnection play a vital part in the hydraulic characteristics of an aquifer.