Using Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model To Implement A Successful Iwrm Approach In Limphasa River Catchment, Malawi

This study examined the effective use of the hydrogeologic conceptual model (HCM) to implement the integrated water resource management (IWRM) approach. While research focuses on using hydrogeologic models  in  groundwater  for  planning,  few  studies  show  how  to  use  HCM  for  a successful IWRM approach, especially in  resource  poor  catchments.  This  is  largely  due  to  t he lack of adequate data to showcase such models. Despite the lack of numerical groundwater data, the HCM was used in this study and it provided the scientific and visual presentation of key issues for practical understanding by stakeholders. For the first time, HCM provided a  practical understanding of t he  groundwater system in the Limphasa River catchment. By using HCM and physical factors qualitatively, the study revealed that, apart from storage, abstraction mechanisms significantly contributes to regional initiatives of groundwater supply whose central objective is to utilise and manage such water sustainably. The model is based on the relationship between groundwater availability  and  its  related  hydrogeologic factors.  Findings suggest improvement  in quantifying the studied parameters through field experiments to provide a better estimation on storage and abstraction of groundwater in relation to impacts of a future changing climate. Since using HCM has shown practical usage, replicating it in catchments with similar physical and socioeconomic environments, would be desirable as refining the model progresses.