Sains Malaysiana 49(11)(2020): 2649-2658

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4911-04

Evaluation of Groundwater Recharge based on Climate Change: A Case Study at Baung’s Watershed, Kota Bharu, Kelantan

(Penilaian Aliran Masuk Air Bawah Tanah berdasarkan Perubahan Iklim: Suatu Kajian Kes di Lembangan Baung, Kota Bharu, Kelantan)

NAZRI EBRAHIM, MOHAMED AZWAN M.Z.*, MD ROWSHON K. & NURULHUDA K.

Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 29 March 2020/Accepted: 16 May 2020

ABSTRACT

The soil water assessment tool (SWAT) is a continuous and distributed hydrologic model created to simulate the effect of land management practices on water in the watershed. Understanding relationship of water extraction of groundwater can lead to better watershed management. The main problem in this study is the complexity of recharge processes and limited observations in groundwater recharge in Malaysia makes it difficult to quantify. This study was done at Baung’s watershed (BW) which can be considered as an ungauged watershed. The estimation of groundwater recharge in BW was done using SWAT. However, BW cannot be calibrated due to lack of streams station availability but the uncalibrated SWAT able to provide satisfactory predictions on hydrologic budget. A framework for SWAT input data including hydrography, terrain, land-use, soil, and weather for BW was then focused in order to achieve the model simulation for ungauged basins. The results emphasize the importance and prospects of using accurate spatial input data for the physically based SWAT model. Normal condition, extreme-low precipitation and future in land-use development represented as scenarios 1, 2, and 3 were evaluated in this study. These conditions give different groundwater recharge rate as different scenarios give different impact to groundwater. Model was found to produce a reliable estimation of groundwater recharge of 405 mm/year (14.6%), 194.12 mm/year (11.1%), and 214.23 mm/year (7.7%) for scenarios 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In conclusion, it suggested that groundwater recharge should not be assumed always 6% of annual rainfall in Malaysia as the factors influencing groundwater recharge need to be took into consideration in assisting groundwater exploration and management.

Keywords: Geophysical; groundwater recharge; soil and water assessment tools; soil investigation; ungauged watershed

ABSTRAK

Alat penilaian air dan tanah (SWAT) adalah model hidrologi yang berterusan dan teragih telah dicipta untuk membuat simulasi terhadap kesan amalan pengurusan tanah ke atas lembangan. Pemahaman tentang hubungan pengekstrakan air bawah tanah membawa kepada pengurusan lembangan yang lebih baik. Masalah utama bagi kajian ini adalah proses aliran masuk yang rumit dan pemerhatian yang terhad dalam aliran masuk air bawah tanah di Malaysia yang menjadikannya sukar untuk dihitung. Kajian ini telah dijalankan di Lembangan Baung (BW) yang boleh dianggap sebagai lembangan yang tiada tolok. Anggaran aliran masuk air bawah tanah di BW telah dilakukan menggunakan SWAT. Walau bagaimanapun, BW tidak dapat ditentukur kerana kekurangan stesen sungai yang sediada tetapi SWAT yang tidak ditentukur mampu memberikan ramalan yang memuaskan mengenai anggaran hidrologi. Kerangka kerja untuk data masukan SWAT termasuklah hidrografi, maklumat guna tanah, maklumat tanah dan cuaca untuk BW telah difokuskan untuk mencapai simulasi model bagi lembangan tidak bertolok. Hasil daripada keputusan telah menekan kepentingan dan prospek menggunakan data masukan geografi yang tepat untuk model SWAT berasaskan fizikal. Senario 1, 2 dan 3, masing-masing mewakili keadaan yang normal, hujan yang terlampau rendah, dan pembangunan penggunaan tanah pada masa hadapan telah dinilai dalam kajian ini. Keadaan ini memberikan kadar aliran masuk air bawah tanah yang berbeza-beza kerana senario yang berbeza memberikan impak yang berbeza kepada air bawah tanah. Model telah didapati menghasilkan anggaran aliran masuk air bawah tanah sebanyak 405 mm/tahun (14.6%), 194.12 mm/tahun (11.1%) dan 214.23 mm/tahun (7.7%), masing-masing bagi senario 1, 2 dan 3. Kesimpulannya, adalah dicadangkan bahawa aliran masuk air bawah tanah tidak sepatut dianggap selalu 6% daripada hujan tahunan di Malaysia kerana faktor yang mempengaruhi aliran masuk air bawah tanah perlu diambil kira dalam membantu penerokaan dan pengurusan air bawah tanah.

Kata kunci: Alat penilaian air dan tanah; aliran masuk air bawah tanah; geofizikal; kajian tanah; lembangan tidak bertolok

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*Corresponding author; email: mohdazwan@upm.edu.my