Development impacts on groundwater resources in Bahrain

Abstract

The development process in Bahrain has led to a continuous depletion of its groundwater resources. The unplanned, excessive pumping of groundwater caused a sharp decrease in groundwater storage and the lowering of the aquifer's potentiometric levels by about 4 metres in the period from 1925 to 1991. As a result, more than half of the original groundwater reservoir has been completely polluted. Development activities will be hindered if the effects of these activities on the groundwater reservoir are not realized. In order to sustain the aquifer usefulness in the development process, the reservoir's natural balance must be re‐established. Therefore, the need for multi‐objective planning aiming at integrating Bahrain's limited water resources capacity and water demands is of paramount importance.