Groundwater – which exists almost everywhere underground, in gaps within soil, sand and rock – has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives and be the world’s insurance policy against Climate change, according to a report.
The report mentioned groundwater could help communities cope not only with slow onset impacts like drought and irregular rainfall, but also provide resilience to rapid onset impacts like floods by ensuring safe water is available for all, including in schools and hospitals.
The report titled “Groundwater: The world’s neglected defence against climate change” jointly released by WaterAid and the British Geological Survey (BGS) emphasized that investment, knowledge, expertise, finance and institutional support is required for groundwater development to secure lifesaving, sustainable and safe water and sanitation for communities living on the frontline of the climate crisis.
On World Water Day, WaterAid has called to reduce groundwater usage which is often over-extracted by people and industries when it is not regulated. This drives competition for water and impacts the amount of water available for drinking and washing.
The major consequence of unregulated and unsustainable groundwater use is that it deepens inequality and may run out at a time when people need them most, says the report.
This year the theme is “Groundwater - Making the invisible visible,” addressing groundwater’s vital role in water and sanitation systems, agriculture, industry, ecosystems, and climate change adaptation.
Hasin Jahan, Country Director of WaterAid said, “the over extraction of groundwater is going to disrupt our eco system in many folds and being aggregated by climate change impacts. The biggest threat now are salinity and arsenic, and we need sustainable solutions.
We need to invest on promotion of technologies like rainwater harvesting system (RWHS) as adaptation measure and make finance accessible to reduce the pressure on groundwater.
She further added to prioritize groundwater governance in discussions and policy making across the sectors including agriculture which require inter-ministerial and cross sectoral collaboration to understand both the threats and risks to share the common and finite water resource for attaining sustainable solutions together.
The report recommends that regulations are needed to mitigate the unregulated extraction of groundwater supplies. Additionally, using data and local expertise to develop comprehensive and investable water programmes that can best serve climate-vulnerable communities.