A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

World Groundwater Levels Face Accelerated Decline

Courtesy of Reuters, Reported by David Stanway and Edited by Tomasz Janowsk

Nature recently released a report revealing that global groundwater levels have undergone a widespread and accelerated decline over the past 40 years. Researchers concluded that this has likely occurred as a result of the impact of two factors: unsustainable irrigation practices in dry climates and drought driven by climate change.

The new study analyzed 170,000 wells and 1,693 unique aquifer systems in over 40 countries. In over 30% of aquifers, the depletion rate has accelerated. This has been particularly harmful in areas with naturally arid climates and extensive croplands, including Northern China, Iran, and the Western United States.

Depletion of groundwater poses severe threats to communities that rely upon it as a source of fresh water for farms, households, and industries. Thus, the economic, environmental, and food & water security implications of their depletion are dire. While aquifers can be replenished with diverted water, recoveries in them are relatively rare.

READ | Stress Levels of Major Global Aquifers Revealed by Groundwater Footprint Study

Incorporating Equity in Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation

Courtesy of International Institute for Sustainable Development, Written by Calais Caswell and Nicole Jang

Historical global gender and social norms mean that people of different genders have differentiated roles in the access, use, and management of natural resources. In the face of a worsening biodiversity and climate crises, this circumstance creates a disproportionate impact on women and girls.

A new report on the issues offers tools and recommendations for meaningful integration of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) considerations within nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation. Several international bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have already recognized the importance of implementing GESI in nature-based solutions.

Three guiding principles are at the center of the analysis: recognizing gendered and social capacity and needs differences in the implementation process; facilitating equitable participation and influence in NbS decision making; and promoting equitable distribution of benefits. The report then applies these principles across five steps that begin with understanding the system and conclude with monitoring & evaluation.

READ | Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction: Women and Climate Change Adaptation

Human-caused Environmental Challenges Drove 2023 Amazon Drought

Courtesy of New York Times, Written by Manuela Andreoni

A recent study released by the World Weather Attribution initiative analyzed the causes of the 2023 Amazon Drought. This event had devastating impacts late in the year, including cutting off thousands of people living in remote areas of the basin, shutting down a hydropower plant in Brazil, and contributing to the suffocation of 150 river dolphins.

One key revelation in the report is that deforestation in the rainforest has decreased rainfall and weakened soil and trees’ ability to retain moisture. And this process is happening as global warming caused by human activities further devastates biodiversity. One additional factor? As parts of the Amazon transform into drier regions, they release harmful gasses into the atmosphere which worsens the impact of the climate crisis.

While the El Niño weather pattern reduced rainfall during the period under study, increased temperatures that resulted from climate change increased the likelihood of low rainfall tenfold. Rising temperatures also increased the risk of reduced river flow and plant & soil dehydration thirtyfold.

READ | Protecting Brazil’s Forests Could Boost Economic Development