Kyrgyzstan   Tajikistan   Kazakhstan  

PROJECT  PREPARATION  PHASE  INCEPTION  MEETING  

Paris  –  February  3-­‐4,  2014  

GROUNDWATER  MANAGEMENT  IN  THE  SYR  DARYA  TRANSBOUNDARY  BASIN  

MANAGING  THE  SUBSURFACE  SPACE  by  

ANDREA  MERLA  

Use  of  the  subsurface  has  become  steadily  more  intensive,  both  by  the  intensificaRon  of  convenRonal  uses  of  the  subsurface  and  its  resources,  and  by  the  emergence  of  relaRvely  new,  non-­‐convenRonal  uses.  The  first  category  includes  groundwater  abstracRon  and  the  extracRon  of  minerals  and  hydrocarbons.  Using  the  subsurface  for  developing  geothermal  energy,  for  systemaRc  disposal  of  hazardous  waste  or  for  various  injecRon/recovery  applicaRons  started  more  recently.  Subsurface  construcRng  may  be  a  convenRonal  acRvity,  but  its  quickly  increasing  intensity  in  numerous  areas  is  unprecedented.    Likewise,  groundwater  abstracRon  is  in  some  areas  shi]ing  to  aquifers  at  greater  depths  than  ever  before.    

Category   Type  of  AcRvity   DistribuRon  

Pushing  the  Aquifer  fronRer  

Groundwater  withdrawal  from  deeper  aquifers  (>500m)  

Sedimentary  basins  

Subsurface  Energy  Development  

Oil  &  Gas    Geothermal  energy  

Major  sedimentary  Basins    Thermally  anomalous  areas    

Disposal/storage  of  Hazardous  wastes  

Deep  Well  InjecRon   Areas  associated  with  oil  &  gas  industry  

InjecRon  and  recovery  

SoluRon  mining  ReinjecRon  spent  geothermal  fluids  Fracking  Carbon  Capture  and  SequestraRon  

Mining  areas  Geothermal  fields  Shale  gas  formaRons  Tests  in  Canada,  Algeria,  N.  Sea  

ConstrucRons   Pipelines,  sewerage,  cables  Tunnels,  railways  Car  parks  etc.  

General,  Urban  Areas  

Aquifer  Recharge   Managed  Aquifer  Recharge  Aquifers  Storage  and  Recovery  

General  

THE  FOUR  MAIN  SUBSURFACE  RESOURCES  

AQUIFER  STORAGE  AND  RECOVERY  

DEEP  WELL  INJECTION  

TIBET  

SINGAPORE  

UncertainRes  exist  on  the  assumed  properRes  and  potenRal  of  the  underground.  Many  processes  that  produce  change  in  the  subsurface  are  virtually  irreversible,  on  a  human  Rme  scale.      

Decision-­‐makers  and  stakeholders  need  to  be  aware  of  the  many  potenRal  uses  and  the  current  uses  of  the  subsurface  and  subsurface  resources  in  the  area  of  their  concern.    

Furthermore,  they  need  to  have  a  reliable  picture  of  the  benefits,  costs  and  risks  of  the  individual  subsurface  acRviRes  (in  comparison  with  those  of  non-­‐subsurface  alternaRves).  

Those  responsible  for  groundwater  resources  management  should  make  sure  that  all  new  iniRaRves  for  subsurface  acRviRes  are  known  to  them  in  Rme