In an article published in the journal ‘Nature Geoscience’ earlier this week, scientists have warned that the excessive extraction of groundwater for agricultural irrigation is one of the main reasons for the decline in groundwater levels. At a global level, groundwater depletion contributes to rising sea levels and a lack of water for food production. The authors concluded that the depletion is a frequent problem in large groundwater systems, both in semi-arid and humid regions. “Aquifers are reservoirs of enormous dimensions, but groundwater recharge is very slow”, said Professor Aeschbach-Hertig, Managing Director of the Heidelberg Center for the Environment and co-author of the article. The situation is extremely serious in dry areas with intensive farming, such as parts of India, China and the United States. Sustainable food production can only be achieved in these areas if groundwater levels are stabilised. In order to solve this problem, a transformation is needed in the way groundwater systems are valued, managed and characterised. Solutions must also be adapted to regional conditions. According to the authors, strategies such as water diversion and artificial groundwater recharge cannot compensate excessive extraction. “Purely technical approaches have not been successful. We must introduce more comprehensive economical, political and legal measures”, explained Professor Aeschbach-Hertig.