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Abstract:
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Water constitutes the basic resource for life. Management of coastal
aquifers, which are the important sources of freshwater that feed the rapid
economic growth of the region is facing increasing challenges. A large portion of
the global population inhabits the coastal and adjoining areas leading to a high
demand for water both surface and ground water resources of coastal tracts.
With increasing population this puts significant stress on water resources of
many of the coastal tracts of the world. Several recent studies have indicated that
coastal aquifers of Cenozoic age are globally under threat due to several
reasons.
Climate change is expected to affect the freshwater resources of coastal
aquifers, which in turn will affect half of the global population residing in coastal
areas. Sea-level rise will induce landward migration of the freshwater-saltwater
transition zone, i.e., seawater or saltwater intrusion, jeopardizing freshwater
availability. In order to facilitate the management of fresh coastal groundwater
resources, a comprehensive understanding of the SLR-SWI relationship is
crucial. |