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Water Resource Management of Salalah Plain Aquifer Using a Sustainable Approach

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  • Mahaad Issa Shammas

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Dhofar University, Salalah 211, Oman)

Abstract

A sustainable approach is proposed for managing the effects of salinity ingression in Salalah coastal aquifer, Oman. This paper aims to analyze and compare the groundwater levels and salinity of the aquifer from 1993 to 2027, considering both predictive and actual transient scenarios. Two novel scenarios were proposed, established, and examined in this study to bring back the aquifer to steady-state condition. The first scenario entails ceasing groundwater pumping from both Salalah and Saada wellfields, while compensating for the groundwater supply from these sources with surplus desalinated water. This scenario is projected to occur during the predictive period spanning from 2023 to 2027, denoted Scenario A. The second scenario is business as usual and involves continuing pumping from both wellfields during the same predictive period, denoted Scenario B. A numerical model for 3D flow simulation and advective transport modeling showed that on the eastern side of the Salalah coastal aquifer, the extent of seawater intrusion (SWI) was identified stretching from the shoreline to a distance of 1800 m, 1200 m, 0 m, and 600 m, in years 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2022 under the transient period, whereas SWI was delineated in land up to 0 m and 700 m in the predictive year 2027 under Scenarios A and B, respectively. In the western side of Salalah coastal aquifer, SWI was delineated in land up to 2000 m, 1700 m, 0 m, and 800 m, in years 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2022 under the transient period, whereas SWI was delineated in land up to 0 m and 750 m in the predictive year 2027 under Scenarios A and B, respectively. This study claims that Scenario A effectively pushed the seawater interface back to the coastline, projecting its reach to the shoreline (0 m) by 2027. In contrast, in baseline Scenario B, the wedge of saline intrusion in the Salalah coastal aquifer was delineated from the shoreline, up to 800 m inland, which accounted for continuation of pumping from both wellfields during the predictive period. The study concludes that Scenario A has the capability to efficiently reduce the impact of saline inflows from the coast, while Scenario B results in a more pronounced impact of salinity intrusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Mahaad Issa Shammas, 2024. "Water Resource Management of Salalah Plain Aquifer Using a Sustainable Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-22, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:9:p:3670-:d:1384331
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abdessamed Derdour & Hazem Ghassan Abdo & Hussein Almohamad & Abdullah Alodah & Ahmed Abdullah Al Dughairi & Sherif S. M. Ghoneim & Enas Ali, 2023. "Prediction of Groundwater Quality Index Using Classification Techniques in Arid Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Fahad Khan Khadim & Zoi Dokou & Rehenuma Lazin & Amvrossios C. Bagtzoglou & Emmanouil Anagnostou, 2023. "Groundwater Modeling to Assess Climate Change Impacts and Sustainability in the Tana Basin, Upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-23, April.
    3. Dongyeop Lee & Jonghoon Park & Hyun A. Lee & Nam C. Woo, 2023. "A Numerical Approach to Evaluating Groundwater Vulnerability to Seawater Intrusion on Jeju Volcanic Island, South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, February.
    4. M. Shammas & R. Thunvik, 2009. "Predictive Simulation of Flow and Solute Transport for Managing the Salalah Coastal Aquifer, Oman," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 23(14), pages 2941-2963, November.
    5. Yanna Xiong & Tianyi Zhang & Xi Sun & Wenchao Yuan & Mingjun Gao & Jin Wu & Zhijun Han, 2023. "Groundwater Quality Assessment Based on the Random Forest Water Quality Index—Taking Karamay City as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-18, October.
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