Groundwater as opposed to surface water is not visible but plays a very
important role in theoverall availabilityofwater. Understanding the level of
aquifers, their fluctuation over seasons and extreme events requires tech-
nical solutions for their permanentmonitoring.
The understanding of the vadose zone (the area between the land sur-
face and the water table)
helps to picture how groundwater is interlinked
with surface water. Some interesting protocols have been developed for
South Africa on the vadose zone assessment on spatial and temporal in-
fluences for aquifer susceptibility [d]. These protocols help to locate po-
tential sources of contamination and support the mitigation and rehabi-
litation of contamination, through improved understanding of the spatial
(or lateral), vertical (or horizon-based) and temporal (or time-dependent)
influences on vadose zone seepage.
Other challenges toensure long-termgroundwatermanagement arefirst to
gather dataand, second, toensure that thedataarestoredandcomparable
over time.Different toolsandsoftware’sareavailable tomonitor the level of
aquifers in a combinedwaywithwater surface surveillance.
For example EPOCH Environmental Compliance and Task Management
Software [e]
is a software that documents data onmonitoring wells, stores
sampling results to recordwaterquality, andcalculatesstatistical data forboth
up-gradient and down-gradient wells. It also provides early detection of pro-
blems by instantly analysing if the results are statistically different from the
background, valuable statistical information, and constitutes a central reposi-
The use of groundwater is part of the strategies to adapt to climate
change, however,
it may also be affected by shifts in weather patterns, de-
creasing aquifer recharge. Strong governance ensures that groundwater is
used tosatisfyhumanneedsand tosustain thebenefits that ecosystemsand
biodiversityprovide for humanwell-being.
Capacitydevelopment is required toensure thesuccessful implementation
of social innovation.
CDaimedat improvinggroundwatermonitoring toensure
sustainable use of this resource and to avoid conflict needs to cover a range
of aspects.
Technical capacity is needed to adapt to and successfully implement
(new) technologies.
Thiscanbeachievedbymeansof training, thecreation
and implementation of knowledge management systems and networks,
and data storage and sharingmechanisms to generate climate and hydro-
geological data,monitor groundwater and increase the knowledge base on
groundwater dynamics, quality and quantity, which is needed to support
policy and decision-making.
Institutional capacity development involves helping institutions from
local to international and transboundary levels
to create and effectively im-
plement formal and informalmechanisms tocollaborateandshareground-
water data and information to support policy and management decisions
on the use and distribution of groundwater. This needs to be based on
equitable rights and allocation regimes to help prevent conflicts among
users, with a focus on shared use andmanagement.
Strengthening the capacity of water users involves the dissemination
of knowledge on how human activities
influence groundwater quality and
quantity, and how individuals and organizations can contribute to the sus-
tainable use of groundwater. This also involves training of farmers and
other water users on the collection and use of data and on technologies to
use groundwatermore efficiently. For example, farmersmay be trained on
alternative crops andwater-efficient irrigation practices to reduce the wit-
hdrawal of groundwater, and on the use of alternative chemical fertilizers
or pesticides to reduce groundwater pollution.
tory for all groundwatermonitoringdata. It canbe adapted to receive data by
modem from labsor remotesites for direct input into thedatabase.
Similar equipment and probes focus on surface and groundwater level
and quality solutions such as ELARD [f].
They can be used for profiling,
sampling, permanent data logging, andcanbe installed togetherwithstand
-alone communication and telemetry equipment to permit remote control
anddata transmissionaswell asanetworkofmonitoringstations. Thisap-
plication includes functionalities surface andgroundwater level andquality
monitoring; water conservationmanagement; agriculture and irrigation.
Groundwatergovernance isreflected ineffective institutions
thatcollaborate
across sectors, through the engagement of stakeholders (e.g. women, indige-
nouspeople, communities,NGOs, and theprivatesector) insharingknowledge
and best practices and in shaping and implementing integrated policy and re-
gulation tomanage groundwater use and protect recharge areas. Formal and
informal governance structures are needed to reach out to actors involved in
various activities, such as agriculture, forestry, mining, energy development,
urbandevelopment, sanitation, anddisposal of solidwaste andwastewater, to
design strategies tominimize the impacts of human activities on groundwater
quality and quantity. In addition at the transboundary level, groundwater re-
sourcesmanagement suffers froma lackof advancedUNconventions.
Groundwater governance extends beyond borders and relies onwater di-
plomacyandother resources
to replaceconflictwithcooperation touseshared
aquifers sustainably for the benefit of all parties. It is highly reliant on the de-
velopment of trust to support networks and share knowledge, resources, and
technology tobetterunderstandgroundwaterdynamicsandhowgroundwater
is influencedbychanges in landcover andbyclimatechange.
Good groundwater governance relies on increased awareness, from
individuals toorganizations
, of howhuman actions, large or small,make a
difference in improvingor deterioratinggroundwater in the short and long-
term, and creates an enabling environment for joint action for the common
good. A framework for action for groundwater governance has been set in
SouthAfrica [i].
The scheme highlights the key business opportunities
that exist at the
different stages, indicating key activities and their socio-environmental va-
lues for co-creators.
TECHNOLOGICALSOLUTIONS
CAPACITYDEVELOPMENT
GOVERNANCESTRUCTURES
BUSINESSROADMAP
Monitoring thegroundwater quantity to ensure its sustainableuse and to avoid conflicts
requires anunderstandingof thegeological types of water tables, the relationbetween
groundwater and surface regimes and tohave access todataonwater availability.
“Governance is essentially theprocesses and institutions through
whichdecisions aremade » [g].
CapacityDevelopment (CD) is conceived as the inherent responsibility of people,
organisations and societies themselves inwhich support by external parties
canplay an important role [j].
Social innovation relies onmeans other thanmarketmechanisms
inorder to link thedemand and supply sides.
Source: [h]
Source: [k]
Stakeholders from both sides (solution providers and potential users)
need to interact
during the different stages of the innovation process to
createacommonground for theco-productionof the requiredknowledge:
from thecomprehensionof theneed to thedesign, implementationanduse
of innovative solutions.
