Integrating hydrogeology and water justice for more effective and equitable groundwater planning

Groundwater management plans are an essential tool for groundwater sharing. To be equitable and effective, groundwater management plans must explicitly consider water justice. This is especially important as the impacts on groundwater intensify, such as the impacts from climate change and overextraction. This article summarizes key considerations for groundwater management planning in the context of climate change and identifies relevant concepts within water justice theory, including two Indigenous perspectives on water justice from the Australian context. Building on this theoretical understanding, a socio-hydrogeological framework is proposed to facilitate integration of hydrogeology and water justice in the context of groundwater management planning. A key feature of this framework is that hydrogeological and water justice considerations be mutually informed, rather than siloed apart, thereby fostering more equitable processes and outcomes. By bringing together hydrogeology and water justice, in addition to other planning inputs, groundwater management plans can better meet the rising challenges of climate change, overextraction, inequalities and other threats to well-being. The discussion highlights the importance of considering who has power, who gets listened to, and who benefits from groundwater management planning processes.