Several studies and reports published during 2024 have underlined the rising adverse impacts of changing climate on groundwater resources in India and globally in multiple ways which will continue to accelerate in future. While the groundwater greatly contributes to river baseflows during lean period, its role in flooding is miniscule comparatively with surface flows in Peninsular India. In North India the drying northwest monsoon and warmer winters have been found driving groundwater depletion by raising demand for irrigation water.
The groundwater is getting warmer, also impacting subterranean aquatic ecosystems. Besides, the rising temperatures are causing more evaporation losses and leading to pumping of more groundwater to compensate for the losses. The extreme rainfall events might speed up fertilizers seeping into groundwater table contaminating it. Similarly, the rising sea level is found fueling erosion in coastal areas and facilitating seawater intrusion of the coastal aquifers. At the same time the decline in low and medium intensity rainfall and warmer weather patterns are reducing groundwater recharge, increasing seawater ingress.
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SANDRP 