Improving integrated surface water- groundwater modelling with groundwater extraction for water management

The purpose of this study is to improve a simultaneous simulation of surface water and groundwater regimes with groundwater extraction to assess the implications for water management and propose primary solution approaches. The SWAT-MODFLOW model is performed for the Yom and Nan river basins during 2007–2016. The results demonstrate that the model provides an accurate depiction of the streamflow and groundwater heads when groundwater pumping is included. The recharges of surface water and groundwater are 2 times higher than the annual average value in the wet year (2011), whereas they are 3 times below the annual average in the dry year (2015). The downstream of Yom River basin is vulnerable to flooding, while high-terrain areas in Nan River basin are vulnerable to drought events. Capturing surplus water volumes during the wet season by recharging into the aquifer, coupled with improving the river capacity and forest areas, should be a sustainable solution for these issues.