India Nears Critical Groundwater Depletion Tipping Point by 2025, Warns UN Report

A recent report by the United Nations issued a stark warning that India is rapidly approaching a critical groundwater depletion tipping point, projected to be reached by the year 2025. The report specifically highlights the Indo-Gangetic basin, an area already experiencing severe groundwater depletion, and predicts that the entire northwestern region of the country will face critically low groundwater availability within the next few years.

The report, titled “Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023,” was published by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). It underscores that the world is approaching multiple environmental tipping points, including accelerating extinctions, melting mountain glaciers, space debris, unbearable heat, and an uninsurable future. These tipping points represent critical thresholds within Earth’s systems, where abrupt and often irreversible changes can lead to significant disruptions in ecosystems, climate patterns, and the overall environment.

One of the major concerns raised in the report is the rapid depletion of groundwater. Approximately 70% of groundwater withdrawals are dedicated to agricultural use, often due to the inadequacy of above-ground water sources. Groundwater, stored in aquifers, plays a crucial role in mitigating agricultural losses during droughts, a challenge that is expected to worsen due to climate change.

However, the report points out that many aquifers worldwide are approaching a tipping point, with over half of the world’s major aquifers depleting faster than they can naturally recharge. When the water table drops below levels accessible by existing wells, it places food production systems at risk, as farmers lose access to water.

India, as the world’s largest user of groundwater, faces a particularly alarming situation. It surpasses the combined usage of groundwater by the United States and China. The northwestern region of India, including the states of Punjab and Haryana, is vital to the nation’s food production, contributing 50% of the rice supply and 85% of the wheat stocks. Nevertheless, 78% of wells in Punjab are already considered overexploited, and the entire northwestern region is on track to experience critically low groundwater availability by 2025.

Jack O’Connor, the lead author and senior expert at UNU-EHS, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “As we approach these tipping points, we will already begin to experience the impacts. Once crossed, it will be difficult to go back. The report can help us see the risks ahead of us, the causes behind them, and the urgent changes required to avoid them.” The report serves as a critical call to action to address this impending environmental crisis.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The India English