OVEREXPLOITATION AND DETERIORATION OF AQUIFERS IN VENEZUELA

Approximately 50 percent of the potable, industrial, and agricultural water supply in Venezuela comes from ground water, mined through some 40,000 wells scattered around the country. The majority of the product ive aquifers consist of quaternary deposits in mountain valleys and co astal lowlands, all of which are situated in areas with limited or low precipitation. Intensive exploitation of several of these aquifers fo r the last 30 years has resulted in overdraft conditions and ground wa ter contamination, causing serious socio-economic consequences in vari ous regions of Venezuela. This paper reviews the quality and quantity aspects of overdrafted aquifers in Venezuela, which can be classified into three major categories: (1) aquifers in the coastal lowlands in t he states of Falcon and Zulia of northern Venezuela; (2) the intermont ane Carora and Quibor Valley Aquifers; and (3) aquifers in the Lake Va lencia Watershed. If current trends of aquifer overexploitation contin ue, further water deficits and irreversible environmental damage are p redicted.