Sustainable water resource management through conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water: a review

The estimations and projections for the global population show that the population is rising dramatically. Because of this, meeting the demands for infrastructure, food, and domestic and industrial water for such a large population is a critical issue for many nations. In addition, the quality and quantity of the water resources are declining as a result of overuse, climate change, and population growth. These alarming situations require an intermediate intervention to conserve and optimize the water uses. The conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater is an old but less emphasized technique practiced in many countries to fulfill human needs partially. Conjunctive use of water has the advantages such as the utilization of poor/saline water, maintaining the groundwater levels, reduction in waterlogging and secondary soil salination, reliable water availability, and increase in crop production. In line with these advantages, this study reviews the literature regarding the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater for sustainable development of irrigated agriculture. The global scenario of water resources and how the conjunctive water use aids sustainable development is first reported. Climate change, groundwater quality and conjunctive use for various basins are discussed in detail. The capabilities of various simulation-optimization models to plan water resources efficiently are presented with case studies. Reported studies indicate that by practicing the conjunctive use not only water resources are conserved but the issues like secondary soil salination and waterlogging are alleviated. The research gaps and conclusions are provided based on the literature review that may be useful for policymakers and researchers for future research and to plan the water resources sustainably.