Groundwater Salinity—Impacts and Possible Remedial Measures and Management Solutions

Abstract

t Groundwater, the largest freshwater resource, is used for drinking, irrigation, and industrial uses worldwide. Ever-increasing demands have accelerated the consumption of groundwater resources leading to its exploitation which has undesirable effects such as declining water levels, land degradation, and water pollution. In coastal, arid, and semi-arid areas, groundwater salinization has been observed at local or regional scales due to saltwater intrusion, caused naturally by geological formations and also by human activities. Its occurrence is controlled by factors such as hydraulic aquifer characteristics, distribution, rate of groundwater recharge, residence time, flow velocities, and nature of discharge areas. Therefore, for its remediation and management solutions, understanding of aquifers and groundwater movements is very crucial.