Search

Groundwater is the primary source of water supply in Ethiopia. The study area was challenged due to increasing water demand, uneven water resource distribution, and noticeable changes in groundwater levels. The study focused on the examining of existing abstraction and future water demand scenarios on groundwater balance in the Weyib watershed using the WetSpass-M and MODFLOW-2005 models. The input datasets, such as aquifer properties, observed groundwater heads, hydrogeology, groundwater recharge, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and hydrological data were used. Datasets were prepared to better represent subsurface hydrology and its future demand effects evaluated using calibrated steady-state numerical groundwater modeling. The WetSpass-M and MODFLOW-2005 models depicted good performances during the simulations of groundwater recharge and groundwater budget under existing abstractions and estimated demand scenarios, respectively. The mean annual groundwater recharge estimated was 177.66 mm/year. The existing groundwater abstraction was 34,686.39, estimated short-term and long-term water demand scenarios were 72,113.61 and 93,795.57 m3/day, respectively. The upstream area has the highest groundwater head and recharge, while decreasing as it approaches the Weyib watershed outlet. During the outflow groundwater budget, the groundwater abstractions increased as expenses of river leakage and head dept. bounds increased. Moreover, the increasing groundwater withdrawal would reduce groundwater heads, and the estimated future water demand scenarios would substantially impact the groundwater budget, which would also have an impact on the watershed hydrology and ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an assessment of the groundwater resources in the Geba basin, Ethiopia. Hydrogeological characteristics are derived from a combination of GIS and field survey data. MODFLOW groundwater model in a PMWIN environment is used to simulate the movement and distribution of groundwater in the basin. Despite the limited data available, by simplifying the model as a single layered semi-confined groundwater system and by optimising the transmissivity of the different lithological units, a realistic description of the groundwater flow is obtained. It is concluded that 30,000 m/day of groundwater can be abstracted from the Geba basin for irrigation in a sustainable way, in locations characterised by shallow groundwater in combination with aquitard-type lithological units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]