Hydrogeology and Environmental Challenges: A Review of Current Trends and Future Directions

Abstract

Hydrogeology is the study of how groundwater moves and interacts with rocks. It is very important for solving environmental problems around the world. Rapid growth in farmland, cities, and industries has put more stress on groundwater systems, causing problems like aquifer loss, pollution, and environment damage. This study looks at the latest developments in hydrogeology and the way groundwater will be managed in the future while the environment is under pressure. The recent study shows how advanced technologies like remote sensing, geophysical models, and machine learning can be used to make exploring, tracking, and managing groundwater better. These tools make it possible to look at groundwater dynamics, refilling processes, and pollution routes with a level of accuracy that has never been seen before. Integration with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) also makes planning for water resources more spatially optimal. Climate change makes hydrogeological problems worse by changing the trends of rainfall, speeding up the rate of evaporation, and making droughts and floods worse. Because of these effects, we need flexible plans like managed aquifer recharge (MAR), groundwater banking, and rules that put sustainability and fair access first. In addition, the review stresses how important it is to use methods that combine hydrogeology with socioeconomic, biological, and social points of view. New pollutants like heavy metals, drugs, and microplastics are very bad for the health of groundwater. Nanotechnology-based solutions and bio-remediation are two new ways of cleaning up pollution that are becoming more popular as a way to lower these risks. At the end of this review, it is emphasized how important it is for scientists, lawmakers, and other interested parties to work together to make groundwater systems more resilient. To get through the complicated field of hydrogeology in the face of global environmental problems, we need to push forward study, encourage technology innovation, and encourage community involvement. Taking care of these problems is necessary to protect water supplies for future generations and keep the balance of nature in a world that is changing quickly.