Estimating Land Use Change Effects on Groundwater Recharge in Nadi and Kabinburi, Thailand

Abstract

The effect of land use change on groundwater recharge in Nadi and Kabinburi Districts, Prachinburi Province, Thailand was studied by forecasting land use change using the CLUE model and estimating groundwater recharge using the H08 model. The results suggested that compared to the current average groundwater recharge, the groundwater recharge estimates from scenario 1 (changing the miscellaneous areas of mostly wasteland to mixed perennial areas) and scenario 2 (predicting the land use scenario for the next 10 years based on trends of land use change from the past to the present) were greater by 1.46 and 2.25%, respectively. In scenario 1, the increase in forest and mixed perennial areas increased the groundwater recharge by helping to slow down the surface runoff and, thus, increased the chances of water seepage into the soil. However, increasing the perennial area or turning wasteland into mixed perennial area (scenario 1), resulted in an increase in the groundwater recharge that was similar to the results from simulating future land use scenarios in the next 10 years (scenario 2). Therefore, to increase the efficiency of groundwater management and drought relief, the relevant agencies should adopt appropriate land use planning, be encouraged to plant perennials or support mixed farming on wasteland, restore degraded forest areas, and improve the management of water use concurrently.