A global partnership for sustainable groundwater management
The groundwater challenge
Groundwater use is soaring. It is being pumped at unprecedented rates for irrigation, industry, and urban development. As surface water supplies dwindle, we are now making withdrawals from our subterranean water bank that cannot be sustained. Groundwater is also increasingly being degraded because of human pollution. Both are damaging the environment and imperilling food supplies, jobs and health.
Yet in some regions, groundwater remains plentiful. If managed sustainably, it has the potential to boost agricultural production and lift millions out of poverty.
Climate change is likely to intensify our dependence on groundwater, so the need for solutions is becoming critical. Without coherent policies, attaining many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be challenging.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Nevertheless with new technologies, smart governance and community action, there is huge scope for progress.
