Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Specialization
Environmental Engineering
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
First Advisor
Ali S. Akanda
Abstract
The Arabian Peninsula countries are characterized by arid and semi-arid climates, relying heavily on groundwater as their primary source of freshwater. However, human activities are rapidly depleting and contaminating this resource, making its sustainable management increasingly crucial. Groundwater in these countries is stored in transboundary aquifer systems, such as the Wajid, Umm Er Radhuma, and Wasia, which are shared with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Oman. These shared resources require Groundwater-sharing agreements for effective management. Yet, the lack of such agreements has resulted in poor data sharing, uncoordinated and unsustainable development, rapid water depletion, declining water quality, and land subsidence. In addition, this region is experiencing rapid development in infrastructure and industries, a trend that is significantly increasing groundwater extraction.
Previous research has mostly focused on groundwater quality in the Arabian Peninsula and has yet to give importance to groundwater quantity and treatment for the Arabian Peninsula countries. Depletion has increased, and rainfall has decreased throughout the last 20 years. However, monitoring these resources and encouraging groundwater-sharing agreements are significant in sustaining and developing the water resources. Therefore, in this dissertation the three Arabian Peninsula aquifers have been compared with two North African aquifers, the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) and Northwestern Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS), which have groundwater treatment to identify suitable scientific methods for continuous groundwater monitoring, which can provide a comprehensive overview in the present and future to deal with this issue.
As a result, the primary objective of this dissertation was to develop suitable methods for an integrated monitoring system of groundwater quality and quantity. This involved utilizing geophysical and field data of the aquifers, satellite remote sensing, and Geographic Information System (GIS). To achieve this, I combined the dams and agriculture data in Saudi Arabia, which occupies the largest area of the three Arabian Aquifers, and validated the results with remote sensing and satellite data. In addition, we compared the results with the aquifers that have treaties to create a suitable framework for continuous groundwater monitoring and preserve water resources in this region.
Recommended Citation
Alotaibi, Mohammed Obaid Altayyar, "UNDERSTANDING GROUNDWATER DEPLETION AND WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES IN THE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER SYSTEMS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION" (2024). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 1691.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/1691