In one in eight aquifers on the planet, the groundwater level drops by half a metre annually, and in 30% of the total number the rate of decline is higher than at the end of the XX century, which, according to scientists, is due to a decrease in the amount of precipitation in these regions. At the same time, it is noted that this problem can be solved by competent management of resources, which has been achieved, in particular, in some parts of the USA and Thailand.
Researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara in the course of their research work analysed changes in groundwater levels in different regions of the Earth, for which they used information from more than 170 thousand observation wells in almost 1.7 thousand aquifers over an eight-year period. Relevant information was obtained in 40-plus states, which account for up to 75 per cent of the world’s groundwater production.
