Karst Aquifers: Hydrogeology and Exploitation

Karstic terrains cover approximately 12% of the Earth’s continental surface and 25% of the world’s population is supplied partially or entirely by karst water resources. In the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia, karst aquifers are the primary water resources. Karst terrains results from karstification, a phenomenon of dissolution of carbonate rocks under the action of water followed by physicochemical processes. Karst processes use the original discontinuities, fractures, joints, bedding planes or macroporosity, developing a hydraulic continuum from surface to spring. The exploitation of karst aquifers integrates the concept of the close relationship between the surface water and groundwater with the evolution of karst aquifer as the dissolution process progresses in order to manage and protect these water resources from overexploitation and pollution. This chapter presents the key elements related to the hydrogeology of karst aquifers and the karst water resources exploitation including methods of exploitation, impacts of exploitation such as overexploitation, salinization and sinkhole, and risk assessment and mapping for karst aquifer protection.