Recent challenges for sustainable groundwater management at Kumamoto Area, based on the regional groundwater flow system

-Pumping permission for the regional groundwater management-

Abstract

Kumamoto area is very famous for its rich volcanic groundwater resources for their city water supply and much management efforts have been done for their sustainable use. The success of artificial groundwater recharge through abandoned rice paddies induces the revision of prefectural groundwater ordinance for the better management of local groundwater for their future generations. This ordinance includes the pumping permission coupled with the artificial recharge countermeasures and this is the first trial pumping regulation in the no groundwater disaster area of Japan.