The Vital Resource Beneath Our Feet

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Researcher helps lead a call to protect global groundwater resources.

We see it lapping at the shores of tranquil lakes, gurgling through creeks and rivers, and rushing over waterfalls. But the vast majority of liquid freshwater on our planet actually flows out of sight, well beneath our feet. This groundwater is a vital resource across the globe, providing irrigation and drinking water to billions of people.

A group of international scientists and practitioners say we are not doing enough to protect and manage global groundwater resources — an oversight they argue will have long-term effects on the planet’s drinking water, food production and adaptation to a rapidly changing climate.

“In some places, our management of groundwater has lagged, but our use of the resource has not. The result is groundwater depletion and the many undesirable impacts associated with over pumping,” said Debra Perrone, an assistant professor at UC Santa Barbara, and one of the researchers leading the new initiative. These impacts include land subsidence, seawater intrusion and declining water levels.

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