| Popis: |
Groundwater is one of the most important natural resources on Earth. Groundwater systems offer a variety of services to humankind, either by providing water that can be abstracted and used, or by various in situ functions, such as climate buffering and sustaining wet environments. Pursuing groundwater resources sustainability means in fact securing the permanent availability of essential groundwater services for indefinite time. In practice, this requires the following preparatory steps: (1) assessing essential current and potential groundwater services offered by the groundwater system considered; (2) identifying the threats to the sustainability of these services; and (3) selecting appropriate approaches and measures to address and control these threats. Across the globe, present-day groundwater services of many groundwater systems are not sustainable; in some cases due to natural causes, but in the majority of the cases caused by human activities, which hints at options for restoring sustainability under favorable groundwater governance conditions. |
