Groundwater, a vital but slow-replenishing resource, is often overused and needs careful management in the face of climate change. It's a key resource during droughts, but future dry spells and warming trends make predicting availability uncertain. Furthermore, groundwater's potential impacts on climate are largely unknown. More research on the relationship between climate and groundwater is needed for effective adaptation and improved understanding of both.
Author(s): Green, Timothy R.; Taniguchi, Makoto; Kooi, Henk; Gurdak, Jason J.; Allen, Diana M.; Hiscock, Kevin M.; Treidel, Holger; Aureli, Alice
Published: 2011
Language: English
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Additional Information
Adaptation to global change must include prudent management of groundwater as a renewable, but slow-feedback resource in most cases. Groundwater storage is already over-tapped in many regions, yet available subsurface storage may be a key to meeting the combined demands of agriculture, industry, municipal and domestic water supply, and ecosystems during times of shortage. The future intensity and frequency of dry periods combined with warming trends need to be addressed in the context of groundwater resources, even though projections in space and time are fraught with uncertainty. Finally, potential impacts of groundwater on the global climate system are largely unknown. Research to improve our understanding of the joint behaviors of climate and groundwater is needed, and spin-off benefits on each discipline are likely.