GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT IN LARGE RIVER BASINS

Groundwater is an exceptionally important component of the water system on the planet Earth. It is the dominant source of the supply of drinking water. During dry periods, groundwater is also a major contributor to river flow. Furthermore, groundwater is important for the creation and conservation of wetlands, and also of oases in arid regions. It is a very popular source of public water supply because of the accessibility and self-purification properties of aquifers, but also because of a traditionally positive attitude toward this resource. It is also an archetype which many of us associate with the beauty and power of a mountain spring. Our people, in fact, have a saying that "in order for water to be drinkable, it needs to pass over seven stones".

The book is founded upon the outcomes of the Belgrade Groundwater Conference (2007); the works and tradition of the Belgrade School of Groundwater, the Jaroslav Černi Institute and the TZW Institute from Karlsruhe; and the experience gained in the course of remediation of polluted groundwater sites in the USA. The exchange of ideas at meetings with the IAWD Technical Group and the ICPDR Groundwater Task Group has also added to the value of the material.

Milan A. Dimkić, Heinz-Jürgen Brauch and Michael Kavanaugh were selected as editors of the book.

The book addresses recent advances in groundwater management in large river basins, follows an innovative, informative and consistent approach, and presents technical tools for planners, decision makers and engineers.

It offers a comprehensive review of the basic elements of groundwater management in large river basins, including:

• Social, economic and legal frameworks, objectives, practices and available tools;

• EU groundwater legislation and implementation;

• Natural occurrence of groundwater and natural circumstances and processes;

• Groundwater management and maintenance problems:

• The role of natural factors in groundwater management,

• Different groundwater abstraction and protection methods,

• Water well ageing and maintenance,

• Nitrate challenges, etc.,

• Modeling as a tool for groundwater assessment;

• Aquifer restoration;

• Technical guidelines for groundwater specialists.

Extract from the table of contents:

• Basic elements of groundwater management in large river basins

• The self-purifying potential of an aquifer

• Problems of groundwater source management and maintenance

• Mathematical modeling, a tool for groundwater regime management

• Large urban groundwater basins: water quality threats and aquifer restoration

• Appendix: Selected information and studies which would be useful to a groundwater engineer

Publisher in Serbia: Jaroslav Černi Institute for the Development of Water Resources