World Water Development Report 2022: Chapter 7 – Groundwater, aquifers and climate change

Authors: TAYLOR, RICHARD - University College London; AURELI, ALICE - United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO); STIGTER, TIBOR - Ihe Delft Institute For Water Education; BANKS, DAVID - University Of Glasgow; ALLEN, DIANA - Simon Frasier University; AKHURST, MAXINE - British Geological Survey; SHAMSUDDUHA, MOHAMMAD - University College London; ABRATE, TOMMASO - World Meteorological Organization; ARROJO-AGUDO, PEDRO - United Nations University; DALMAN, RORY - The Netherlands Organisation For Applied Scientific Research (TNO); DMITRIEVA, TATIANA - United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO); FERLA, GUILLAUME - United Nations University; Green, Timothy; HARTOG, NIELS - National Water Research Institute; KHAYAT, ZIAD - United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO); MACH, EVA - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); MIJNLIEFF, HARMEN - The Netherlands Organisation For Applied Scientific Research (TNO); RADWAN, MAHMOUD - United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO); SCANLON, BRIDGET - University Of Texas At Austin; VÁZQUEZ SUÑÉ, ENRIC - University Of Barcelona; VAN GESSEL, SERGE - The Netherlands Organisation For Applied Scientific Research (TNO); VILLHOLTH, KAREN - International Water Management Institute; VYSTAVNA, YULIYA - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2021
Publication Date: 3/22/2022
Citation: Taylor et al., 2022. Groundwater, aquifers and climate change. In: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2022: Groundwater: Making the invisible visible. UNESCO, Paris. pp. 101-114. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380721

Interpretive Summary: Climate change strongly influences freshwater supply and demand globally. Groundwater is the world’s largest distributed store of freshwater, which is likely to play a vital role in enabling societies to adapt to intermittent and sustained water shortages caused by climate change. Groundwater is also essential to satisfy the increased demand for water to achieve many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including zero hunger, water for all, and climate action. Aquifers transmitting and storing groundwater can also mitigate climate change through the use of geothermal energy to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as well as the capture and storage of emitted CO2. This chapter reviews the latest understanding of the impacts of climate change on groundwater quality and quantity. It highlights the opportunities, risks and challenges associated with groundwater development and management for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Technical Abstract: Climate change strongly influences freshwater supply and demand globally. Warming of ~1°C over the last half century globally has directly impacted the supply of freshwater through the amplification of precipitation extremes, resulting in more frequent and pronounced floods and droughts, increasing evapotranspiration rates, rising sea levels, and changing precipitation and meltwater regimes. Groundwater, the world’s largest distributed store of freshwater, is well placed to play a vital role in enabling societies to adapt to intermittent and sustained water shortages caused by climate change. Groundwater is also essential to satisfy the increased demand for water to achieve many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including specifically no. 2 (zero hunger), no. 6 (water for all) and no. 13 (climate action). Aquifers transmitting and storing groundwater can also contribute to climate change mitigation through the use of geothermal energy to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as well as the capture and storage of emitted CO2. This chapter reviews the latest understanding of the impacts of climate change on groundwater quality and quantity as well as the opportunities, risks and challenges posed by the development of aquifers in climate change adaptation and mitigation.