Browsing by Autor "Marijke Huysmans"

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Addressing Data Scarcity and Structural Uncertainty in Groundwater Recharge Assessment: Refining the Recharge Model in the Chiquitano Dry Forest (Eastern Bolivia)
(2026) Mónica Guzmán‐Rojo; Luiza de Silva Freitas; Michel Ríos Nogales; Alejandra Tovar Gaviria; Nicole Drew Roca; Elvis Quisnancela Cabay; Marijke Huysmans
ABSTRACT Accurately assessing groundwater recharge is crucial for sustainable water management in regions with limited data and high hydrological complexity. Focusing on the El Sutó spring (eastern Bolivia), this study integrates a field‐informed conceptual model with three numerical approaches—USGS Soil‐Water Balance (SWB‐USGS), a Simplified Water Balance driven by FLDAS (SGWB‐FLDAS), and Seasonal WetSpass (SeasonalWS)—to refine the representation of recharge processes in a tropical dry setting. Approximately 16.4% of annual rainfall percolates beyond the root zone, with rainy‐season recharge ~6.8× higher than in the dry season. Daily‐scale SWB‐USGS better captures short‐lived, high‐intensity events, while monthly and seasonal models smooth episodic peaks and emphasise long‐term spatial constraints. Cross‐model inconsistencies are used constructively to iteratively update the conceptual model, constraining structural uncertainty. Proxy consistency checks using water‐table fluctuations and observed intake discharge support the process realism of the refined framework. The multi‐model strategy advances transferable understanding of recharge in tropical dry ecosystems and offers practical guidance for water‐scarce contexts.
Determination of the natural potential groundwater recharge in the Valle Alto basin, Bolivia, through a soil water balance
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2022) Cristian J. Apaza-Coria; Inti E. Rodriguez-Levy; Mirko Delfín Soruco; Marijke Huysmans
Development and Application of a Methodology for the Identification of Potential Groundwater Recharge Zones: A Case Study in the Virvini Micro-Basin, Tiraque, Bolivia
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2023) Inti E. Rodriguez-Levy; Miguel A. Centellas-Levy; Wanderley J. Ferreira; Syed Mustafa; Lilian Rivera-Rodriguez; Andres Gonzales Amaya; Marijke Huysmans
Groundwater plays a vital role in human consumption and irrigation in many parts of Bolivia; yet, the absence of policies to regulate its extraction and protect groundwater recharge areas has led to a decline in water tables and threatened food security. Some municipal initiatives have been implemented to develop regulations, but the lack of reliable hydrogeological data (such as aquifer geometry, groundwater level data, location of potential groundwater recharge zones, and flow dynamics) hinders their effective implementation. The case study presented herein focuses on a municipal policy in Tiraque, Bolivia, aimed at protecting groundwater recharge zones, in addition to the need for a reliable methodology for their technical identification. The EARLI approach (an acronym for “Enhanced Algorithm for Recharge based on the Rainfall and Land cover Inclusion”) is suggested as a participatory-simplified multi-criteria decision method to address the absence of hydrogeological data. This approach was adjusted to the basin’s specific conditions, including local vegetation communities and their influence on infiltration, and was applied as a pilot study in the Virvini micro-basin. The EARLI model emphasizes the spatial distribution of rainfall as an input indicator for potential recharge in addition to the biophysical characteristics of the catchment area. The methodology successfully mapped the degree of groundwater recharge potential and was validated by traditional hydrogeological models, field infiltration measurements, and the local community’s application of the tool. Therefore, the results of this study provide the necessary technical bases for groundwater-integrated management in Tiraque.
Groundwater Vulnerability in the Aftermath of Wildfires at the El Sutó Spring Area: Model-Based Insights and the Proposal of a Post-Fire Vulnerability Index for Dry Tropical Forests
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2025) Mónica Guzmán-Rojo; Liliana Freitas; Enrrique Coritza Taquichiri; Marijke Huysmans
In response to the escalating frequency and severity of wildfires, this study carried out a preliminary assessment of their impact on groundwater systems by simulating post-fire effects on groundwater recharge. The study focuses on the El Sutó spring area in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, a region that is susceptible to water scarcity and frequent wildfires. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Soil-Water-Balance model version 2.0 was utilized, adjusting soil texture and infiltration capacity parameters to reflect the changes induced by wildfire events. The findings indicated a significant decrease in groundwater recharge following a hypothetical high-severity wildfire, with an average reduction of approximately 39.5% in the first year post-fire. A partial recovery was modeled thereafter, resulting in an estimated long-term average reduction of 10%. Based on these results, the El Sutó spring was provisionally classified as having high vulnerability shortly after a wildfire and moderate vulnerability in the extended period. Building on these model-based impacts, a preliminary Fire-Related Forest Recharge Impact Score (FRIS) was proposed. This index is grounded in soil properties and recharge dynamics and is designed to assess hydrological vulnerability after wildfires in dry tropical forests. Although these findings remain exploratory, they offer a predictive framework intended to guide future studies and inform strategies for managing wildfire impacts on groundwater resources.
Impacts of Wildfires on Groundwater Recharge: A Comprehensive Analysis of Processes, Methodological Challenges, and Research Opportunities
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2024) Mónica Guzmán-Rojo; J. C. Giménez Fernández; Paul d’Abzac; Marijke Huysmans
Increasing wildfire activity has led to complex ecosystem consequences, with direct effects on the subsystems that affect the presence and movement of water. Although studies have investigated the cascading effects of wildfires on the water balance, our understanding of broad-scale groundwater modifications post fire remains unclear. This review aims to elucidate fire-induced shifts in the water balance, their causal factors, and their potential effects on groundwater recharge. By scrutinizing prior research examples that modeled post-fire recharge scenarios, the review highlights persistent knowledge gaps. The challenge of quantifying and integrating fire-induced alterations in precipitation, wind, and land temperature patterns into recharge projection models is specifically addressed. Despite these gaps, post-fire values of hydrologically meaningful parameters such as leaf area index (LAI), curve number (CN), and near-surface saturated hydraulic conductivity (KST) have been identified. Simulating post-fire recharge via the extrapolation of these values requires the consideration of site-specific conditions, vegetation recovery, and ash removal. It frequently results in a reduced interception and increased surface runoff, while evapotranspiration remains dependent on site-specific factors and often dictates groundwater recharge estimates. Although post-fire recharge simulations are inherently complex and imprecise, their growing application can guide land-use alterations and support policy implementation that considers fire-induced water availability changes.
Transdisciplinary Learning Communities to Involve Vulnerable Social Groups in Solving Complex Water-Related Problems in Bolivia
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2019) Afnan Agramont; Marc Craps; Melina Balderrama; Marijke Huysmans
Bolivia has influenced the international water arenas as a pioneer of the Human Water Rights Declaration before the United Nations General Council. However, despite a positive but rather ideological evolution, the country is still facing several water challenges in practice. Water governance is extremely complex due to intricate social structures, important spatial and temporal differences in the availability of water resources, ecological fragility, and weak institutions. A Transdisciplinary Learning Community approach has been adopted by the Universidad Católica Boliviana to take into account the complexity of the water problems caused by social, hydrological, and ecological system imbalances. In this approach, researchers and non-academic actors work closely together to integrate different ways of conceiving, using, valuing, and deciding on water issues. The approach aims at co-creating resilient solutions by recovering and restoring not only the ecological system, but also the social system in which all actors are aware of their role and responsibility. We explain the challenges and concerns raised by this approach in a case study of the Katari River Basin (KRB), which is impacted by a high degree of contamination that is mainly caused while crossing El Alto city, leading to dramatic consequences for the Lake Titicaca ecosystem and its surrounding communities.