Groundwater resource degradation : a framework for analysis with examples from China and Palestine

Groundwater resources are vulnerable to physical degradation in the form of depletion, depletion-induced changes, and contamination. Degradation, commonly induced by human activity, has environmental, economic and social effects, which in turn impact on mankind. This paper develops a broad framework for analysing groundwater degradation problems and management strategies. It then applies the framework to two contrasting groundwater degradation situations in developing countries.