A Statement of Task
An ad hoc planning committee appointed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a workshop to examine research and practice in monitoring and modeling regional groundwater recharge and flow in various regions of the globe with an emphasis on the use of remotely sensed data. Recognition of quantitative changes in (1) demand for groundwater for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and domestic needs; (2) frequency and duration of dry seasons and irregular precipitation in different areas; and (3) land use and land cover will provide context for workshop discussions. Specific attention will be given to scientific results, technological capabilities, and modeling for regions where in situ measurements, observations, and instrumentation may be difficult.
The workshop will begin with the broad picture of the freshwater budget, then focus in on the groundwater recharge and flow component. In particular, invited presentations and breakout discussions will cover topics related to:
- Assessment of regional freshwater budgets under major use scenarios (e.g., agriculture, industry, municipal);
- State of the art and research frontiers in characterizing groundwater aquifers, including residence time, quantity, flow, depletion, and recharge, using remotely sensed observations and proxy data;
- Groundwater model uncertainties and methods for mitigating them using sparse ground observations or data and other approaches; and
- Ability to detect which water management strategies (e.g., water reuse, irrigation efficiencies, desalination) that affect groundwater flow and recharge are being used and any changes in their use over time.
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