IGRAC contribution to World Water Development Report

Imagen

IGRAC has contributed to the World Water Development Report 2015, which has been launched at the official celebration of the World Water Day, on 20 March 2015. IGRAC provided the Groundwater Development Stress (GDS) Map for the WWDR 2015, titled 'Water for a Sustainable World'. Moreover, IGRAC's map of arsenic traces in groundwater in Asia was included in the Case Studies and Indicators document titled 'Facing the Challenges'. 

Water for a Sustainable World

The 2015 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR), titled Water for a Sustainable World, demonstrates how water resources and services are essential to achieving global sustainability.
 
This latest edition of the WWDR clearly demonstrates how water is critical to nearly every aspect of sustainable development, and how a dedicated SDG for water would create social, economic, financial and other benefits that would extend to poverty alleviation, health, education, food and energy production, and the environment. 

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Groundwater Development Stress

The main purpose of this indicator is to show to what extent current groundwater abstraction is or will be modifying the original groundwater regimes. It is important to know this, because these modifications may produce unintended and undesired impacts to society, ecosystems and the environment. Therefore, the development stress level according to this indicator provides guidance for rational groundwater development planning and management.
 
GDS is defined as the current annual rate of groundwater abstraction (A) divided by the mean annual natural groundwater recharge (R), multiplied by 100%: GDS = A/R*100%. This indicator was introduced in 2003 by IGRAC in the GGIS database under the name ‘Degree of groundwater development'.

Map of arsenic traces in groundwater in Asia

Groundwater quality is affected by both anthropogenic and natural contaminants. Natural groundwater contaminants found in the region's aquifers include arsenic fluoride and iron. Anthropogenic contaminants come from fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture; mining, tanneries and other industries; landfill and garbage dumps; and inadequate sanitation and wastewater disposal.