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.
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Sustainable Groundwater Management
Making the invisible visible
Quality and quantity of groundwater
Almost all of the world’s liquid freshwater is stored underground. Yet growing demand and the increasing effects of climate change are depleting aquifers and reducing supply. This in turn affects both the quality and quantity of groundwater. To safeguard this precious resource, we must work together to manage it sustainably and strengthen cooperation on shared transboundary aquifers. Groundwater may be out of sight – but it must never be out of mind.
Like many countries around the world, the Netherlands has long taken its vast groundwater reserves for granted. The drought of 2018 revealed how rapidly groundwater levels were dropping due to rising demand and reduced recharge. Meeting these challenges requires not only technical solutions to ensure long-term sustainability, but also good governance and greater social, economic, and environmental awareness.
World Water Day 2022
In 2022, World Water Day focused on the theme “Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible.” The official celebrations took place during the World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal, where the UN World Water Development Report 2022 was launched. The findings of the report were used to provide recommendations to policymakers on sustainable groundwater management.
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 were shown at the UN-Water Summit on Groundwater in December 2022.
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Join IGRAC in their one minute video challenge to share your groundwater story.
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