ABSTRACT

In the coming decades, changes in sea level, precipitation, and populations are likely to impact groundwater resources, particularly in coastal areas where salinization by seawater already threatens aquifer systems. Understanding the primary factors that affect aquifer vulnerability to changes in salinity and groundwater flow patterns is critical to developing effective management plans in coastal zones.

This presentation identifies important salinization mechanisms and presents recent work to characterize aquifer system vulnerability. The case of the Bengal Delta, one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to sea-level rise due to its low topographic elevation and dense population, is considered, and generalized to include other types of hydrogeologic systems.