Groundwater resilience, security, and safety in the four largest cities in Denmark

Denmark’s complete reliance on groundwater for water supply presents a unique case study in management of natural resources, urban planning, and water resilience in the face of climate change. This paper examines the groundwater management strategies in Denmark in general, focusing on Denmark’s four largest cities-Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, and Aalborg - each facing distinct challenges due to their demographic, geographical, hydrogeological, and economic characteristics. Through analysis of these cities’ approaches to groundwater management, this research contributes to the global discourse on sustainable urban water supply systems. As coastal groundwater cities (CGC), these urban areas must navigate the complexities of sustaining growing populations, mitigating climate change impacts, and coastal processes while ensuring the long-term viability of their groundwater resources. Copenhagen and Aalborg, built atop semi-confined fractured and locally karstic carbonate rocks, highlights the specific challenges associated with karstic groundwater systems, while Aarhus and Odense built on glaciofluvial aquifers face different issues. The different groundwater challenges in these cities underscore the importance of integrating urban development with water resource management and environmental sustainability, offering valuable insights and lessons learned for other regions facing similar challenges. This study, thus not only sheds light on Denmark’s groundwater management practices, but also emphasizes the need for innovative solutions to ensure the resilience of urban water supply systems in a changing climate and increasing pressures of emerging organic contaminants as well as elevated concentrations of geogenic elements induced by water abstraction and fluctuating water tables. Advanced Danish monitoring and modelling tools applied to support decision-making and innovation within the water sector are continuously developed and improved to support resilient and sustainable management of the available water resources.