Ecosystem-based adaptation for groundwater management in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia | |
| Author | Basnet, Sujata |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-23-05 |
| Subject(s) | Groundwater--Cambodia--Siem Reap--Management Ecosystem Management--Cambodia--Siem Reap |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Water is essential for many human activities, including agriculture, industry, and many more. Due to the continue extraction of groundwater in the Cambodia, water level is steadily dropping. Therefore, it is important to conserve groundwater, and Ecosystembased Adaptation (EbA) appears to be a promising method for doing so on a local level. This study focuses on a) finding the status of groundwater table, b) identifying the various stressor from social survey and literature c) analyzing those stressors in the groundwater model to find impact and d) evaluating the different EbA measures to improve the groundwater resources. The Mann Kendall test and Sen’s Slope test conducted in Siem Reap Province shows that the Pouk district has a large spatial variation in groundwater level and the average rate of depletion of -32.8cm/year was observed. Dependency of people on GW for domestic purposes, agricultural expansion, urbanization, precipitation and overextraction by agricultural sector are some stressors identified from the social survey and literature review. GMS MODFLOW was set up to find the impact of the groundwater level in Siem Reap. The model requires boundary conditions, recharge rates, pumping rates, and hydraulic properties as input. A three-layer conceptual model was used to build the model for 2015 and 2021.From the impact scenario of pumping and recharge it was revealed that the groundwater level decreased by 9.23m and 2.4m respectively with respect to base case (2021). To lessen the impact of the stressors, different EbA measures were identified and used in the model. Protection of the Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem, the most technically sound EbA measures shows increase in the groundwater level by 4.76m with respect to base case (2021). Finally, it is advised to safeguard ecosystems that depend on groundwater, riparian areas, and critical recharge zones as well as adapting vegetative cover to efficiently manage groundwater resources based on analyzing the various EbA scenarios. |
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shanmugam, Mohana Sundaram;Ho Huu Loc (Co-Chairperson) |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shrestha, Sangam;Natthachet Tangdamrongsub |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Scholarships |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023 |