Resilience of Groundwater Impacted by Land Use and Climate Change in a Karst Aquifer, South China

A subtropical karst aquifer in South China has shown significant groundwater discharge decline, with nearly 50% reduction during the dry season, primarily driven by land use changes and climate change. The study, which analyzed long-term hydrochemical data, found that groundwater quality deteriorated more in runoff and discharge zones compared to recharge areas. While land resource exploitation and shifting land use patterns began impacting groundwater conditions around 1990, climate change effects became evident from 2001, as indicated by rising water temperatures despite high aquifer depth. These findings underscore the need for continuous monitoring and reassessment of karst aquifers to understand their resilience amid urbanization and development.

Guo, F., Jiang, G., Polk, J. S., Huang, X., & Huang, S. (2015). Resilience of Groundwater Impacted by Land Use and Climate Change in a Karst Aquifer, South China. Water Environment Research, 87(11), 1990–1998. Portico. https://doi.org/10.2175/106143015x14362865226798