Groundwater is the second largest store of freshwater in the world. The sustainability of the ecosystem is largely dependent on groundwater availability, and groundwater has already been under tremendous pressure to fulfill human needs owing to anthropogenic activities around various parts of the world. The footprints of human activities can be witnessed in terms of looming climate change, water pollution, and changes in available water resources. This paper provides a comprehensive view of the linkage between groundwater, climate system, and anthropogenic activities, with a focus on the Indian region. The significant prior works addressing the groundwater-induced response on the climatic system and the impacts of climate on groundwater through natural and human-instigated processes are reviewed. The condition of groundwater quality in India with respect to various physicochemical, heavy metal and biological contamination is discussed. The utility of remote sensing and GIS in groundwater-related studies is discussed, focusing on Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) applications over the Indian region. GRACE-based estimates of terrestrial water storage have been instrumental in numerous groundwater studies in recent times. Based on the literature review, the sustainable practices adopted for optimum utilization of groundwater for different purposes and the possible groundwater-based adaptation strategies for climate change are also enunciated.
Providing sustainable water supply for domestic needs and irrigated agriculture is one of the most significant challenges for the current century. This challenge is more daunting in coastal regions. Groundwater plays a pivotal role in addressing this challenge and hence, it is under growing stress in several parts of the world. To address this challenge, a proper understanding of groundwater characteristics in an area is essential. In this study, spatio-temporal analyses of pre-monsoon and post-monsoon groundwater-levels of two coastal aquifer systems (upper leaky confined and underlying confined) were carried out in Purba Medinipur District, West Bengal, India. Trend analysis of seasonal groundwater-levels of the two aquifers systems was also performed using Mann-Kendall test, Linear Regression test, and Innovative Trend test. Finally, the status of seawater intrusion in the two aquifers was evaluated using available groundwater-quality data of Chloride (Cl−) and Total Dissolve Solids (TDS). Considerable spatial and temporal variability was found in the seasonal groundwater-levels of the two aquifers. Further, decreasing trends were spotted in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon groundwater-level time series of the leaky confined and confined aquifers, except pre-monsoon groundwater-levels in Contai-I and Deshpran blocks, and the post-monsoon groundwater-level in Ramnagar-I block for the leaky confined aquifer. The leaky confined aquifer in Contai-I, Contai-III, and Deshpran blocks and the confined aquifer in Nandigram-I and Nandigram-II blocks are vulnerable to seawater intrusion. There is an urgent need for the real-time monitoring of groundwater-levels and groundwater quality in both the aquifer systems, which can ensure efficient management of coastal groundwater reserves.
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<p>Watersheds are geographically distinct landscape features with complex webs of interactions among physical, ecological, and social factors. Thus, watersheds are complex and dynamic systems. In addition, watersheds offer various ecosystem services that are crucial for society. Their ability to deliver these services is determined by the current state of the watershed. Therefore, the watershed health assessment is essential for the efficient management of the watershed. The purpose of this research is to comprehensively evaluate the watershed health using a risk-based (Reliability-Resilience-Vulnerability) framework for the 30 watersheds of the Budhabalanga River basin in India. To accomplish this hydrological modelling with Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a remote sensing approach and field data have been used. The SWAT model is calibrated from 1995 to 2009 and validated from 2010 to 2017 with NSE > 0.65, R<sup>2</sup> > 0.70, and PBIAS < &#177;10. &#160;To determine the three most important sub-indicators of watershed health i.e., reliability, resilience and vulnerability (R-R-V), suitable criteria and acceptable thresholds are taken into account. &#160;Using the sub-indicators an Integrated Watershed Health Index is developed for all watersheds during the period 2000 to 2020.&#160; Further, the change detection approach is used to study the temporal variation of watershed health during the last two decades. The study revealed that the upstream watersheds are healthier than the other watersheds. In addition, the study will be useful for the watershed managers of the Budhabalanga River basin to prepare a strategic road map for sustainable watershed management. The proposed method can be used as a handy tool for watershed health assessment for any other watershed.</p>
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