Impacts of 25 years of groundwater extraction on subsidence in the Mekong delta, Vietnam.

ABSTRACT: Many major river deltas in the world are subsiding and consequently become increasingly vulnerable to flooding and storm surges, salinization and permanent inundation. For the Mekong Delta, annual subsidence rates up to several centimetres have been reported. Excessive groundwater extraction is suggested as the main driver. As groundwater levels drop, subsidence is induced through aquifer compaction. Over the past 25 years, groundwater exploitation has increased dramatically, transforming the delta from an almost undisturbed hydrogeological state to a situation with increasing aquifer depletion. Yet the exact contribution of groundwater exploitation to subsidence in the Mekong delta has remained unknown. In this study we deployed a delta-wide modelling approach, comprising a 3D hydrogeolog

SUBMITTER: Minderhoud PSJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6192430 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature