Protecting groundwater involves deciding how much it possible to extract without risking permanent deterioration in quality. Usually this means not exploiting reserves more quickly than rainfall replenishes them.

It also means thinking about the surrounding environment. Streams and wetlands in may rely on groundwater and be damaged by over-extraction. Possible sources of pollution and how they are likely to interact with groundwater must also be considered.

• Evaluation of groundwater resources.
• Defining optimal exploitation strategies.
• Taking account of side-effects of exploitation.
• Diagnosing vulnerability to quality deterioration.

• IAH members have been instrumental in developing techniques for investigating groundwater flow.
• Working groups of the IAH have helped to standardise hydrogeological mapping and share information internationally.
• A major achievement of the IAH has been to make a complete hydrogeological map of Europe.

Hydrogeologists are able to give information on groundwater availability and vulnerability. The best way to conserve the quality of groundwater is to adopt the concept of pollution prevention. This protects the whole resource and avoids the need for treatment at the point of use. Expert advice from hydrogeologists helps to develop codes of practice for land-use and planning, and make this concept a reality. 

Perhaps one of the most important ways of protecting groundwater is to educate those who use it. Groundwater is not confined to pipes or channels so every government, city council, industry boss or farmer who extracts groundwater or makes decisions about land use and waste management has a role to play in its protection. If you haven't already looked, find out why Groundwater is so important and what Threats it faces. There are many web sites with education information resources on groundwater – a selection may be found here

The IAH is committed to education and transferring technologies that help to protect groundwater, especially in developing countries. Find out more about the role the IAH plays on the About IAH pages.