Vietnamese-German Cooperation for the Development of Sustainable Technologies for Karst Water Management (KaWaTech Solutions)

More than 25% of the world population relies on freshwater from karst aquifers. As precipitation infiltrates quickly into the karst aquifer, surface water is rare and storage capacities are limited. In the Dong Van Karst Plateau in the Northern part of Vietnam, the tropical climate with its distinct dry seasons leads to serious water supply shortages. Since September 2010, the project region is an UNESCO Geopark, so tourism will become more important in the near future and therefore water quantity problems will further increase.

During the first project phase, numerous hydrogeological investigations were carried out. These studies focused on the characterization and quantification of the available water resources. Based on climate data as well as geological and hydrogeological mapping, a conceptual hydrogeological model was developed and validated by several tracer tests.

The variability of the hydrochemical and microbiological parameters of surface and spring water is investigated in detail. During heavy rainfalls, an enhanced input of pathogenic microorganisms and suspended particles is observed. This affects water quality and limits use. In order to avoid contamination of the drinking water and to minimize the abrasion risk of the technical facilities of the water supply system, the development and implementation of an early warning system is planned. It will be based on measurements of the particle size distribution. Therefore, monitoring campaigns are carried out during dry and wet season conditions. Furthermore, a vulnerability map of the water resources will be used to develop sustainable groundwater protection concepts.

 

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Inbetriebnahme der Wasserförderanlage von Seo Ho im März 2019 durch das KaWaTech Team unter Leitung des IWG