Tourism on Gili Air, a small coral island in Indonesia, has increased significantly. Groundwater is the primary water source on the island. This study aims to estimate the sustainability of groundwater use on this small coral island. It conducts an initial assessment of the freshwater lens system using cost-effective methods to evaluate the available freshwater volume and sustainability of water withdrawals related to tourism. The results and methods can be transferred to other low-lying islands. The results show that Gili Air has a well-developed freshwater lens, estimated to contain 2 million cubic meters of water, with an annual recharge rate four times higher than the water demand of the island’s inhabitants. However, our findings suggest that the rapid increase in tourism resulted in unsustainable water withdrawals between 2016 and 2019. Without proper groundwater monitoring and management, this could lead to seawater intrusion into the aquifer.
Tschaikowski J.M.P., Putra D.P.E., Pracoyo A. and Moosdorf N. (2024) Tourism-Related Pressure on the Freshwater Lens of the Small Coral Island Gili Air, Indonesia. Water 16(2): 237. 10.3390/w16020237
@article{Tschaikowski2024,
Title = {Tourism-Related Pressure on the Freshwater Lens of the Small Coral Island Gili Air, Indonesia},
Author = {Tschaikowski, Jarrid M. P. and Putra, Doni P. E. and Pracoyo, Atas and Moosdorf, Nils},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Water},
Year = {2024},
Pages = {237},
Volume = {16},
Doi = {10.3390/w16020237},
Abstract = {Tourism on Gili Air, a small coral island in Indonesia, has increased significantly. Groundwater is the primary water source on the island. This study aims to estimate the sustainability of groundwater use on this small coral island. It conducts an initial assessment of the freshwater lens system using cost-effective methods to evaluate the available freshwater volume and sustainability of water withdrawals related to tourism. The results and methods can be transferred to other low-lying islands. The results show that Gili Air has a well-developed freshwater lens, estimated to contain 2 million cubic meters of water, with an annual recharge rate four times higher than the water demand of the island’s inhabitants. However, our findings suggest that the rapid increase in tourism resulted in unsustainable water withdrawals between 2016 and 2019. Without proper groundwater monitoring and management, this could lead to seawater intrusion into the aquifer.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Tschaikowski, Jarrid M. P.
AU - Putra, Doni P. E.
AU - Pracoyo, Atas
AU - Moosdorf, Nils
TI - Tourism-Related Pressure on the Freshwater Lens of the Small Coral Island Gili Air, Indonesia
T2 - Water
PY - 2024
SP - 237
VL - 16
DO - 10.3390/w16020237
AB - Tourism on Gili Air, a small coral island in Indonesia, has increased significantly. Groundwater is the primary water source on the island. This study aims to estimate the sustainability of groundwater use on this small coral island. It conducts an initial assessment of the freshwater lens system using cost-effective methods to evaluate the available freshwater volume and sustainability of water withdrawals related to tourism. The results and methods can be transferred to other low-lying islands. The results show that Gili Air has a well-developed freshwater lens, estimated to contain 2 million cubic meters of water, with an annual recharge rate four times higher than the water demand of the island’s inhabitants. However, our findings suggest that the rapid increase in tourism resulted in unsustainable water withdrawals between 2016 and 2019. Without proper groundwater monitoring and management, this could lead to seawater intrusion into the aquifer.
ER -
