Global Groundwater Levels Declining, But Interventions Show Promise
Study reveals a drop in 71% of aquifers, with accelerated depletion in dry, extensively farmed regions; however, policy changes and improved management have led to recovery in some areas.
- Groundwater levels are declining globally, with a drop observed in 71% of aquifers, according to a study in Nature.
- The decline is especially prevalent in dry regions with extensive croplands, and the rate of depletion has accelerated in the 21st century in 30% of the studied aquifers.
- Groundwater provides drinking water to billions of people and supplies nearly half of all water used for irrigation.
- Despite the alarming trend, the study also highlights successful interventions to replenish groundwater, including policy changes, substituting groundwater with other water sources, and intentional refilling of depleted aquifers.
- Researchers are now studying how groundwater levels vary over time in the context of climate change to provide better predictions of where groundwater access is at risk.
Cosmos 
