QUATERNARY AQUIFER OF THE NORTH CHINA PLAIN°ASSESSING AND ACHIEVING GROUNDWATER RESOURCE SUSTAINABILITY

The Quaternary Aquifer of the North China Plain is one of the world's largest aquifer systems and supports an enormous exploitation of groundwater. Both population and economic activity have grown markedly in the past 25 years. This paper focuses upon the hydrogeologic and socio-economic diagnosis of these groundwater resource issues, and identifies strategies to improve groundwater resource sustainability.