Salinisation of drinking water ponds and groundwater in coastal Bangladesh linked to tropical cyclones

Salinity is a widespread problem along the Asian coast, mainly in reclaimed lands where most people live. These low-lying areas are vulnerable to impacts from tropical cyclone induced storm surges. The role of such surges on the long-term salinity of water resources, particularly the salinisation of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2024-03, Vol.14 (1), p.5211-5211, Article 5211
Main Authors: Tsai, ChiSan, Hoque, Mohammad A., Vineis, Paolo, Ahmed, Kazi Matin, Butler, Adrian P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/172
704/242
704/4111
Climate change
Coastal zone
Cyclones
Deltas
Drinking water
Floods
Groundwater
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrology
Land use
multidisciplinary
Ponds
Rain
Saline water
Salinity
Salinity effects
Salinization
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sediments
Storm surges
Surface water
Surface-groundwater relations
Tidal waves
Topography
Tropical cyclones
Water resources
Water resources management
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Summary:Salinity is a widespread problem along the Asian coast, mainly in reclaimed lands where most people live. These low-lying areas are vulnerable to impacts from tropical cyclone induced storm surges. The role of such surges on the long-term salinity of water resources, particularly the salinisation of drinking water ponds, a key water resource, requires further investigation. Here we show, using high-resolution measurements of pond hydrology and numerical modelling, that episodic inundation events cause the widespread salinisation of surface water and groundwater bodies in coastal areas. Sudden salt fluxes in ponds cause salinity build-up in the underlying sediments and become a source of salinity. Rapid clean-up of drinking ponds immediately after a surge event can significantly minimize these salinity impacts, which are likely to increase under climate change. Our study has implications for coastal land use and water resources management in tropical deltas.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-54446-6