Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

This study looks at the groundwater issues in the dry zone of Sri Lanka and shows how the use of remote sensing with high-resolution images can help in groundwater management. A new approach is developed for automatic extraction of the location of agrowells using high-spatial-resolution satellite im...

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Main Authors: Sood, Aditya, Manthrithilake, Herath, Siddiqui, Salman, Rajah, Ameer, Pathmarajah, S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Springer 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78187
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author Sood, Aditya
Manthrithilake, Herath
Siddiqui, Salman
Rajah, Ameer
Pathmarajah, S.
author_browse Manthrithilake, Herath
Pathmarajah, S.
Rajah, Ameer
Siddiqui, Salman
Sood, Aditya
author_facet Sood, Aditya
Manthrithilake, Herath
Siddiqui, Salman
Rajah, Ameer
Pathmarajah, S.
author_sort Sood, Aditya
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This study looks at the groundwater issues in the dry zone of Sri Lanka and shows how the use of remote sensing with high-resolution images can help in groundwater management. A new approach is developed for automatic extraction of the location of agrowells using high-spatial-resolution satellite imageries. As an example, three pilot sites in three different aquifer systems in the country are considered, and their highresolution images are analyzed over two temporal time periods. The analysis suggests that the well density in all three regions has increased over the last few years, indicating higher levels of groundwater extraction. Using the well inventory developed by this new approach, the water budgeting was prepared for the mainland of Jaffna Peninsula. The analysis shows a wide variation in well density in the Jaffna Peninsula, ranging from (as little as) less than 15 wells per square kilometer to (as high as) more than 200 wells per square kilometer. Calculations made for the maximum allowable water extraction in each administrative division of Jaffna show that less than 3 h of daily extraction per well is possible in some districts. This points to an increasing pressure on groundwater resources in the region and thus highlights the importance of understanding groundwater budgets for sustainable development of the aquifers.
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spelling CGSpace781872025-03-11T09:50:20Z Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka Sood, Aditya Manthrithilake, Herath Siddiqui, Salman Rajah, Ameer Pathmarajah, S. groundwater recharge groundwater water balance water resources aquifers arid zones remote sensing density wells rain This study looks at the groundwater issues in the dry zone of Sri Lanka and shows how the use of remote sensing with high-resolution images can help in groundwater management. A new approach is developed for automatic extraction of the location of agrowells using high-spatial-resolution satellite imageries. As an example, three pilot sites in three different aquifer systems in the country are considered, and their highresolution images are analyzed over two temporal time periods. The analysis suggests that the well density in all three regions has increased over the last few years, indicating higher levels of groundwater extraction. Using the well inventory developed by this new approach, the water budgeting was prepared for the mainland of Jaffna Peninsula. The analysis shows a wide variation in well density in the Jaffna Peninsula, ranging from (as little as) less than 15 wells per square kilometer to (as high as) more than 200 wells per square kilometer. Calculations made for the maximum allowable water extraction in each administrative division of Jaffna show that less than 3 h of daily extraction per well is possible in some districts. This points to an increasing pressure on groundwater resources in the region and thus highlights the importance of understanding groundwater budgets for sustainable development of the aquifers. 2015-07 2016-12-07T04:21:56Z 2016-12-07T04:21:56Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78187 en Open Access Springer Sood, Aditya; Manthrithilake, Herath; Siddiqui, Salman; Rajah, Ameer; Pathmarajah, S. 2015. Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187(7):1-16. doi: 10.1007/s10661-015-4584-5
spellingShingle groundwater recharge
groundwater
water balance
water resources
aquifers
arid zones
remote sensing
density
wells
rain
Sood, Aditya
Manthrithilake, Herath
Siddiqui, Salman
Rajah, Ameer
Pathmarajah, S.
Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka
title Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka
title_full Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka
title_fullStr Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka
title_full_unstemmed Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka
title_short Managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka
title_sort managing shallow aquifers in the dry zone of sri lanka
topic groundwater recharge
groundwater
water balance
water resources
aquifers
arid zones
remote sensing
density
wells
rain
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78187
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