Groundwater

Making the invisible visible

Groundwater as a vital source of water is under threat. Population growth, rapid urbanisation and economic development are putting increasing pressure on groundwater. Although groundwater is invisible, its impact is visible everywhere.

Today’s water challenges call for cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and expertise. The Dutch water sector invites you to team up to find the best solutions for our changing world.

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Water table depth shown by GLOBGM. Photo: Deltares

News Groundwater Dutch knowledge institutes behind the first high-resolution time-dependent groundwater model of the world

#Climate change #Sharing data

Bucket of water on dry soil - Stockholm World Water Week

Publication Groundwater State of Global Water Resources 2022 includes groundwater levels

#Groundwater #Sharing data #Decision-making

News Groundwater Groundwater Summit: landmark event stresses the importance of groundwater

#Groundwater #Global event #Dutch contribution

News Groundwater Groundwater management and sustainable solutions for food and nature

#Groundwater #IGRAC

Quality and quantity of groundwater

Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater. The growing demand in combination with the increasing effects of climate change are depleting aquifers and causing a decline in supply. This has a knock-on effect on the quality and quantity of groundwater. We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource and improve the way we share transboundary groundwater resources. Groundwater may be out of sight, but it must not be out of mind.

Similar to many countries all over the world, The Netherlands has taken its vast groundwater reserves for granted for a long time. The drought of 2018 has exposed how groundwater levels were dropping with extreme rates due to growing demand and decreased infiltration. In order to cope with these challenges, we need not only technical solutions to sustainably manage groundwater reserves for future generations. Governance but also creating social, economic and environmental awareness are equally important.

World Water Day 2022

This year's World Water Day features the theme Groundwater: making the invisible visible. Official celebrations are taking place during the World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal including the launch of the UN World Water Development Report 2022. The findings of the report are used to make recommendations to policymakers.

The International Groundwater Resources Assessment Center (IGRAC), a UN-Water Task Force member, has taken the initiative of a video challenge called #mygroundwaterstory. A selection of films will be shown at the UN-Water Summit on Groundwater in December 2022.