P68. Contamination and climate change on groundwater: challenges and opportunities

Groundwater is the worldwide most valuable freshwater resource, extensively used as the main source of drinking water. Groundwater resources are significantly affected by global factors like population growth, anthropogenic activities, and modifications in land use and by climate change both in quantity and quality. For these reasons, groundwater is strongly subjected to water stress and contamination processes and, therefore, requires opportune protection, sustainable use, and proper management tools. In this context, the present session intends to analyze different concerns connected to groundwater preservation from quali-quantitative degradation (over-exploitation, pollution) and climate change effects. The aim is to discuss the several aspects of groundwater issues and face new challenges in a changing environment for appropriate management, protection, and sustainable use of water resources for the future. We invite contributions about laboratory and field studies, hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical aquifers characterization, innovative modeling methods, and contamination vulnerability and risk approaches, related to groundwater quantity and quality changes and finalized to preventing, controlling, and mitigating environmental impacts on groundwater.

This session solicits papers concerning multidisciplinary researches aiming to consider the different aspects related to the challenges and the opportunities for future sustainable groundwater management, climate change mitigation measures, stakeholder and population involvement, and new decision support systems.