The transboundary aquifer maps on groundwater abstraction, groundwater-level trend, salinity and arsenic and estimated groundwater storage are available for download. Each map is available as a 1 km resolution grid (xyz ASCII file), and also as high-resolution PDF files.
The maps provide new, higher-resolution information of the IGB aquifer, at transboundary scale, than previously available. They are based on a major systemic review of the best available, in situ observations and studies across the Indo-Gangetic alluvial aquifer. They are designed to show information at basin or regional scale.
Detailed description of the methodology and a full list of data sources used to develop the groundwater storage and productivity maps can be found in the peer-reviewed paper, published in Nature Geoscience.
Please read the terms and conditions of usage of the maps.
Figure 1 is a map of mean annual change in water-table levels across the aquifer during the period 2000 to 2010 (metres/year).
Figure 2 is a map of estimated mean annual groundwater abstraction across the aquifer based on data from 2010.
Figure 3 shows a map of estimated mean annual groundwater storage across the aquifer based on annual groundwater-level change and specific yield.
Figures 4 and 5 show salinity measured as total dissolved solids in the groundwater across the aquifer and areas where arsenic is known to be widespread, or thought likely to occur.
MacDonald, A M, Bonsor, H C, Ahmed, K M, Burgess, W G, Basharat, M, Calow, R C, Dixit, A, Foster, S S D, Gopal, K, Lapworth, D J, Lark, R M, Moench, M, Mukherjee, A, Rao, M S, Shamsudduha, M, Smith, L, Taylor, R G, Tucker, J, van Steenbergen, F, Yadav, S K. 2016. Groundwater quality and depletion in the Indo-Gangetic Basin mapped from in situ observations. Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo2791.
Contact Alan MacDonald for further information