Towards Landscape-Based Groundwater Recharge for Arid Regions- the Case Study of Karachi, Pakistan

Rapid urbanization and climate change are driving forces that are changing the urban landscape and affecting the resources and environment, particularly in the megacities of arid regions. Many of these cities face an acute water crisis leading to over-exploitation of groundwater resources. This over-exploitation has led to the depletion of aquifers, land infertility, saline intrusion, land subsidence, and harm to the hydrological ecosystems. Globally, numerous studies have documented the potential of groundwater recharge (GWR) using GIS and remote sensing techniques. However, its spatial implementation and benefits for urban landscape improvement are underexplored. In this study, we introduced the concept of landscape-based GWR by conducting a case study of Karachi (Pakistan). By taking hydrology and contextual landscape systems (surface and sub-surface) as the foundation, we explored favorable conditions for the social-ecological inclusive spatial transformation of the urban landscape. Moreover, we highlighted the multiple benefits of this approach besides recharging the depleted ground hydrological conditions, i.e., improving the city's biodiversity and social, economic, and ecological values. We found that landscape-based GWR can be one of the potential solutions not only for the critical water crisis of the city but also for improving the overall quality of life and urban landscape. Furthermore, this holistic approach towards groundwater recharge can guide future urban development patterns, preservation of high groundwater recharge potential sites, and evolution towards sustainable regional development in arid regions where groundwater is the most significant yet vulnerable resource.