Cade Billingsley – Undergraduate– Environmental Science
How is the Oil Industry Furthering the Groundwater Issues in Yemen?
This paper wants to answer the question of how the oil industry is furthering the water issues in Yemen. Most Yemeni water supply comes from groundwater, which is being split between the local farmers and the oil industry. Local farmers need of more water for the increasing amount of cash crops, like qat. Oil companies across the globe show interest in Yemen as a major producer of oil and the Yemeni government vowed to increase oil production in the past year, giving the companies more incentive to come to them. These companies use vast amount of water as part of their mining process and could be contaminating the groundwater. This causes conflict between the two parties, which the government struggles to mediate. The farmers are important to Yemeni society since they are feeding the people and the cash crops they grow support the economy. The oil industry also supports the economy as a major export and by providing jobs for the locals. This paper will look at peer reviewed papers and reports on the nation to see the ways that the oil industry is affecting the water of Yemen and the local farmers reliant on that water. This paper will also look at how important the oil industry is to Yemen, and if it can still thrive with growing water concerns. If Yemen can survive with less reliance on the oil industry, then they may be able to alleviate their water shortage issues.
Christopher Draeger – Undergraduate– Environmental Science
Foreign Use of Domestic Fresh-Water and Saudi Arabian Agricultural Investment Abroad Limits Local Fresh-Water Sources
Saudi Arabia is located in an arid region where there are no perennial rivers. At the turn of the 21st century, the country was agriculturally self-reliant and profitable. As water demand grew due to a growing population and developed culture, water levels in aquifers and wells began to dissipate. As, a result, a mitigation strategy and plan was implemented in 2009, “King Abdulla's Initiative for Agricultural Investment Abroad”. As a developed country, Saudi Arabia has reservoirs and numerous desalination plants. However, the amount of water required to produce beef and dairy cow feed surpasses the threshold that Saudi Arabia can efficiently produce domestically. Saudi Arabian companies are acquiring farmland in foreign arable regions, such as south-western Arizona, to exploit natural water resources and local laws to grow feed. Groundwater mining by Saudi Arabian companies, such as the Almarai Corporation, have local Arizonans concerned about their water rights and unregulated pumping. The desert climate and the excessive use of water for agriculture exacerbates the strain on the local aquifers, where the vast majority of irrigation water comes from, as well as domestic water. In towns like Vicksburg and Wilcox, residents are reluctant to let foreign entities grab local water and grow water-intensive crops like alfalfa to feed cows across the world. Examining the water-rights and usage in the two developed regions will help to understand current water-conflicts, and to implement solutions.
Jerra Hinson- Undergraduate- Environmental Science
The Guaraní Aquifer System: A Transboundary Agreement
The Guaraní Aquifer System (GAS) is a transboundary aquifer in South America that is located in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. It is named after the Guaraní people who are primarily located in Paraguay, but they are also found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. The aquifer is one of largest in the world at about 1,200,000 square kilometers and would be able to sustain the world’s population for 200 years. Almost 94% of the aquifer is located under Brazil which gives them a significant impact on the management decisions that are made regarding the aquifer. The Guaraní Aquifer Agreement (GAA) is one of only a few international agreements on a freshwater aquifer and its allocation. The Guaraní Aquifer agreement was adopted in 2010, but was not ratified by all four countries until 2018, when Paraguay joined Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. The GAA is one of the only international groundwater treaties that was not born out of conflict, but was created as a precautionary measure to help avoid future conflict due to water scarcity. This paper will evaluate the circumstances that led to the Guaraní Aquifer Agreement and how it has affected groundwater allocation in the region.
Alexandra Lee-Sang – Undergraduate- Environmental Science
Decreasing Groundwater Quality and Quantity in the Perth Basin: Effects on Ecosystems and Economics and Western Australia
Western Australia is an arid, water limited region that is very dependent on groundwater for human water needs and ecosystems. Climate change and overuse of groundwater cause aquifer levels to decrease and contamination of groundwater to increase. In this paper I will address how the decreased groundwater quantity and quality effects ground water dependent ecosystems and the species that live within them. I will compare environmental effects with economic effects of changing groundwater. It is important to study the environmental impacts of changes in groundwater in the Western Australia because the region has plentiful biodiversity and is home to many unique and endemic species. The basin is essential in providing water to keep groundwater dependent ecosystems alive and provide the heavily populated Perth area with municipal, agricultural, and industrial water. It is also relevant to examine how the economy of the area will change since Perth relies on groundwater for industry and agriculture. I will address this issue by examining how limited and/or contaminated water can change the flora and fauna in Western Australia. I will also touch on how social aspects and economics in the region can change with clean groundwater availability.
Tricia Reimer - Undergraduate - Geography
Groundwater Depletion and Agriculture in India
A couple keys to sustainable agriculture in India are to better understand and reduce groundwater depletion. This project examines groundwater availability in India for agricultural production and how the concern for water availability for agriculture is connected to the growing demand for food. Although rainfall has remained steady in India, the groundwater supply has decreased by 4 centimeters per year on average. India’s economy relies on agriculture for a high percentage of income, and more importantly, along with the rising population, there will be a higher demand for food production throughout the country. In order to resolve this problem, groundwater must be replenished and recharged in order to keep up with the rising demand of agricultural production. Approaches such as tillage for water harvesting, rainwater collection, and cropland management have proved to be promising approaches for replenishing groundwater. This project will elaborate more on the possible methods of restoring and recharging groundwater for agriculture in India.