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Spatial Distribution and Sustainability Implications of the Canadian Groundwater Resources under Changing Climate

Author

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  • Ahmad Zeeshan Bhatti

    (Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada
    Faculty of Science, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada)

  • Aitazaz Ahsan Farooque

    (Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada
    Faculty of Science, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada
    School of Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada)

  • Qing Li

    (Department of Environment, Energy, and Climate Action, Government of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8, Canada)

  • Farhat Abbas

    (School of Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada)

  • Bishnu Acharya

    (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada)

Abstract

Groundwater availability, utilization, sustainability, and climate change implications were assessed at regional and provincial scales of Canada. It remains an unexplored resource, estimated to be renewing between 380 and 625 km 3 /year. However, the provinces have initiated developing their quantitative and qualitative databases for their accurate inventory. Sustainable groundwater availability at the national scale was estimated as 19,832 m 3 /person/year (750 km 3 /year), with high regional variations ranging from 3949 in the densely populated Prince Edward Island (PEI) province to 87,899 in the thinly populated Newfoundland and Labrador (NFL). It fulfills 82%, 43%, and 14% of water requirements of the rural population, irrigation, and industry, respectively. It is the potable water source for more than 9 million people countrywide (24% of the population), and provinces of Quebec, and Ontario (1.3 million people), and PEI (0.15 million people) particularly depend on it. It is mostly a free or nominally charged commodity, but its utilization was found to be well under sustainable limits (40% of recharge) at the provincial scales, i.e., under 4% for all the provinces except New Brunswick (NB), which also had just 8% extraction of sustainable availability. Nevertheless, localized issues of quantitative depletion and qualitative degradation were found at scattered places, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. Climate change impacts of warming and changing precipitations on groundwater underscored its stability with some temporal shifts in recharge patterns. In general, increased recharge in late winters and springs was observed due to reduced frost and more infiltration, and was somewhat decreasing in summers due to more intense rainfall events.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmad Zeeshan Bhatti & Aitazaz Ahsan Farooque & Qing Li & Farhat Abbas & Bishnu Acharya, 2021. "Spatial Distribution and Sustainability Implications of the Canadian Groundwater Resources under Changing Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9778-:d:626155
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tom Gleeson & Yoshihide Wada & Marc F. P. Bierkens & Ludovicus P. H. van Beek, 2012. "Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint," Nature, Nature, vol. 488(7410), pages 197-200, August.
    2. Ahmad Zeeshan Bhatti & Aitazaz Ahsan Farooque & Nicholas Krouglicof & Qing Li & Wayne Peters & Farhat Abbas & Bishnu Acharya, 2021. "An Overview of Climate Change Induced Hydrological Variations in Canada for Irrigation Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-15, April.
    3. M. Rodell & J. S. Famiglietti & D. N. Wiese & J. T. Reager & H. K. Beaudoing & F. W. Landerer & M.-H. Lo, 2018. "Emerging trends in global freshwater availability," Nature, Nature, vol. 557(7707), pages 651-659, May.
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    1. Abdul Munaf Mohamed Irfeey & Mohamed M. M. Najim & Bader Alhafi Alotaibi & Abou Traore, 2023. "Groundwater Pollution Impact on Food Security," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, February.

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