Recharge, development and use of groundwater in U.A.E

Research Project

Project/Area Number	07041087
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	Field Research
Research Institution	Chiba University
Principal Investigator	SHINDO Shizuo Center for Environmental Remote Sensing, Chiba University Professor, 環境リモートセンシング研究センター, 教授 (70058014)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	ALSHARHAN A.S. Faculty of Science, U.A.E University, 理学部, 教授 TAKESITA Yuji Faculty of Environmental Technology, Okayama University, 環境工学部, 助教授 (90188178) KONDO Akihiko Center for Environmental Remote Sensing, Chiba University, 環境リモートセンシング研究センター, 助教授 (30201495) SATO Yoshinori Faculty of School Education, Joetsu University of Education, 学校教育部, 助教授 (40143185) INOUE Mitsuhiro Tottori University, Arid Land Research Center, 乾燥地研究センター, 助教授 (90032309) KITAOKA Kouichi Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, 理学部, 助教授 (30093230)
Project Period (FY)	1995
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1995)
Budget Amount *help	¥5,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,300,000) Fiscal Year 1995: ¥5,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,300,000)
Keywords	United Arab Emirates / Arid area / Groundwater recharge mechanism / Groundwater quality / Water balance / Groundwater management / Underground dam / Groundwater simulation
Research Abstract	Groundwater recharge in arid area, where annual precipitation is much less than potential evaporation, is very important both for science and regional groundwater development. In order to investigate mechanism of rainfall infiltrating into groundwater, four steps in this project were taken from February 15, to March 4,1996 at the United Arab Emirates. (a) Rainfall infiltration processed by artificial rainfall experiments : it was found that sand dune is natural dam for groundwater recharge since its high hydraulic conductivity and high water storage ability. (b) Historical floods rebuilt by flood sedimentation survey : there are 'live' wadis which contribute groundwater recharge and 'die' ones which have been buried in sand dunes and have nothing to do with groundwater recharge. (c) Hydrogeological structure by field survey and remote sensing technology. (d) Estimation of regional groundwater by isotopes and chemical compositions : more than 200 groundwater samples have been taken around the whole U.A.E.It was found that water quality evolution processes respond to regional groundwater movement very well. Groundwater resident time is shorter in 'live' wadis than other areas.