Enhancing Groundwater Recharge Through Nature-Based Solutions: Benefits and Barriers

Nature-based solutions (NbSs) for water involve using or mimicking natural processes to contribute to the improved management of water. Although NbSs are gaining a significant amount of scientific attention, to ensure their wide usage for enhancing groundwater recharge, there is a need for clear documentation outlining their benefits and barriers. In this study, a systematic literature review was carried out to evaluate the application of NbSs for managing groundwater recharge. First, NbS approaches were classified into two broad groups: managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and ancillary recharge methods (ARMs). MAR includes all activities that intentionally enhance the recharge of an aquifer for later recovery, while ARMs include all the remaining NbSs wherein recharge enhancement is a secondary goal. In 50 out of 61 reviewed studies, MAR was reported to be successful in increasing recharge. However, in the remaining studies, reductions in recharge rates were reported. Most of the NbSs that failed to improve groundwater recharge were from the ARMs group. This group had little consensus among studies regarding the effectiveness of NbSs on groundwater recharge. In this study, we also identified opportunities and challenges, such as gaps in our knowledge of NbSs’ effectiveness, their assessment in long-term, cost–benefit analysis and scalability. Addressing these challenges will further enhance the efficiency of NbSs, which indeed is a promising alternative for enhancing groundwater resources.