Jay Punthakey

Adjunct Professor Jay Punthakey

Groundwater specialist

Gulbali Institute

Biography

Dr Jehangir F Punthakey is a groundwater specialist with Ecoseal Developments Pty Ltd and Adjunct Professor at Charles Sturt University, with international consulting and research experience in groundwater modelling and management, and groundwater governance. Before founding Ecoseal, Dr Punthakey held various roles with the South Australian Department of Agriculture and the New South Wales Department of Water Resources where he developed regional models in the Murray Darling Basin to assess sustainable yields and risks of groundwater depletion for irrigation districts. He has provided research and consulting services to ACIAR, ADB, ICBA and the World Bank for water resource management projects in Australia, Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

His research interests span modelling seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers, managing stressed aquifers, and understanding impacts of climate change and adaptation options. His recent work in the Southern Indus Basin focused on understanding climate change impacts on depletion of groundwater resources, and the application of nature based solutions to reduce impacts of waterlogging, salinity and seawater intrusion from rising sea levels in coastal Sindh. His work has led to a patent on a novel Groundwater Management System for managing stressed aquifers. The collaborative research projects he has undertaken aim to improve management of groundwater resources for improved food security and livelihoods -aligned with UN SDG Goals 2, 6, 13 and 15.

Research
  • Groundwater management and modelling
  • Seawater intrusion modelling
  • Water resource management
  • Climate change impacts on water resources
  • Salinity modelling and stream-aquifer connectivity
Publications

Recent  Publications

  • Punthakey, J. F and Woolley (2024). Groundwater Resource Assessment and Simulations for Historical and Climate Change Scenarios for the Stuarts Point town water supply borefield. Stage 2: Groundwater resource assessment and simulation for the Stuarts Point groundwater source. Ecoseal Consulting Report, CR-2023-183, 72p.
  • Ahmed, W.; Ahmed, S.; Punthakey, J.F.; Dars, G.H.; Ejaz, M.S.; Qureshi, A.L.; Mitchell, M. (2024). Statistical Analysis of Climate Trends and Impacts on Groundwater Sustainability in the Lower Indus Basin. Sustainability, 16, 441. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010441
  • Allan, A., Mitchell, M., and Punthakey, JF. (2023). Institutional pathways for transforming groundwater planning and management: Reflections from Pakistan and Sri Lanka. World Water Policy, 1–21.
  • Zakir-Hassan, G., Allan, C., Punthakey, JF., Baumgartner, L., and Ahmad, M. (2023). Groundwater Governance in Pakistan: An Emerging Challenge. In: Water Policy in Pakistan. Issues and Options. Ed. M. Ahmad. Global Issues in Water Policy 30. Pp 225-248.
  • Lytton L., Ali, A., Garthwaite B, Punthakey JF., and Saeed B. (2021). “Groundwater in Pakistan’s Indus Basin: Present and Future Prospects.” World Bank, Washington, DC 190p.
  • Punthakey, J.F., Ali, A., and Bhutta, M. N. (2021). Managed Aquifer Recharge for Punjab, Pakistan. SMEC International, ADB CDTA 9255-PAK Institutional Transformation of the Punjab Irrigation Department to a Water Resources Department. 80p.