GROUNDWATER DEPLETION IS ACCELERATING

DECLINING GROUNDWATER LEVELS

Groundwater is the largest reservoir of freshwater.

People depend on it for agriculture and their daily lives. Groundwater depletion has become a serious issue for many years, as it is used up faster than it can be recharged by precipitation.

The rate of depletion has more than doubled since 1960.

• The growth of the word population goes along with the increased consumption of food and drinking water, and inherent to it, the increase of areas that needs to be irrigated. The rate of irrigation is outbalancing the recovery of local groundwater levels by precipitation.
• Our warming atmosphere holds more water vapour the weather phenomena become more intense.
• A warmer atmosphere means a higher rate of evaporation

DESERTIFICATION

• Draughts and declining groundwater levels increases the desertification rate all over the world. The structure of arable soil alters and its loses its ability to store groundwater.
• The structure of the soil and beneath layers becomes less capillary and as a result impermeable. The soil structure  cannot imbibe water to restore the original groundwater level.
• As an result, even more irrigation is needed.

INCREASING WATER DEMAND

Water demand is projected to increase by 55% globally between 2000 and 2050.

• The increase in demand will come mainly from
• manufacturing (+400%),
• electricity (+140%) and
• domestic use (+130%).

70% of all freshwater resources is used for raising crops and livestock.

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Long term droughts events have increased.