Advancing Groundwater Management and Seawater Intrusion Monitoring in the Middle East and North Africa: Exploring the Potential of Nuclear Tracer Techniques

Water scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region poses significant challenges to the sustainable management of groundwater resources. Factors such as population growth, non-rational water use, and the impact of climate change further exacerbate the situation. This chapter proposes the adoption of effective governance strategies for the limited groundwater resources to address these pressing issues. Groundwater management and monitoring of seawater intrusion pose significant challenges in the region due to increasing water demand, the threat of salinization, and sea level rise due to climate change. Stable and radioactive isotopes present a valuable and reliable tool for studying, understanding, and monitoring groundwater systems in the region. In arid and semi-arid climates, isotope techniques offer a practical and dependable methodology for detecting and quantifying groundwater recharge, as well as determining groundwater age and assessing pollution in both shallow and deeper aquifers. The use of environmental isotopes, including deuterium (2H), tritium (3H), oxygen-18 (18O), and carbon-13 (13C) and carbon-14 (14C), provides insights into water provenance and assists in comprehending the age of groundwater. Tritium, with its high level of accuracy, is employed to trace groundwater history up to 50 years, while carbon-14 is utilized to investigate history spanning up to 40,000 years. Accurate assessment of hydrogeological parameters and aquifer characteristics is crucial for understanding groundwater origins and budgeting. Additionally, various environmental isotopes have been successfully employed to identify seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers and gain a comprehensive understanding of the processes influencing salt concentration in groundwater in seaboard areas. This chapter showcases the application of stable and radioactive isotopes in groundwater management within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Mashreq countries, and countries in North Africa and Egypt. The findings and methodologies presented directly impact the livelihoods of diverse groundwater users in these regions. By incorporating isotope techniques into groundwater management strategies, MENA countries can make informed decisions regarding the utilization and protection of their valuable groundwater resources.