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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #387051
Research Project: Integrating Remote Sensing, Measurements and Modeling for Multi-Scale Assessment of Water Availability, Use, and Quality in Agroecosystems

Location: Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory

Title: Warming temperatures exacerbate groundwater depletion rates in India

Author
item Bhattarai, Nishan
item LOBELL, D. - Stanford University
item BALWINDER, SINGH - Collaborator
item FISHER, R. - Tel Aviv University
item Kustas, William - Bill
item JAIN, M. - University Of Michigan

Submitted to: Science Advances
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2023
Publication Date: 9/1/2023
Citation: Bhattarai, N., Lobell, D., Balwinder, S., Fisher, R., Kustas, W.P., Jain, M. 2023. Warming temperatures exacerbate groundwater depletion rates in India. Science Advances. 9(35). https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi1401.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi1401

Interpretive Summary: Climate change and natural resource degradation are challenging agricultural production in India, where climate change is projected to decrease the yield of staple crops including rice and wheat by up to 20% by mid-century. Simultaneously groundwater, which provides over 60% of India’s irrigation, is being depleted rapidly, primarily because of water withdrawal for crop production. Using historical data on groundwater levels, climate, and crop water stress derived from remote sensing products, we project that rates of net groundwater loss for 2041-2080 may be four times current depletion rates due to a warming climate, even after considering projected increases in precipitation. These results indicate India’s groundwater resources are likely to be unsustainable for irrigation by mid-century caused by warming temperatures that threaten India’s food and water security.

Technical Abstract: Climate change will likely increase crop water demand in some regions in India, and farmers may adapt by applying more irrigation. Understanding the extent to which this is occurring is of particular importance in India, a global groundwater depletion hotspot, where increased withdrawals may further jeopardize groundwater resources. Using historical data on groundwater levels, climate, and crop water stress, we find that farmers have adapted to warming temperatures by increasing groundwater withdrawals, resulting in a substantial acceleration of groundwater depletion. When we consider increased withdrawals due to warming, we project that rates of net groundwater loss for 2041-2080 may be four times current depletion rates, even after considering projected increases in precipitation. These results quantify a hidden cost of adapting to warming temperatures that threatens India’s food and water security.