Certain parts of the Indo-Gangetic area in India have used up too much groundwater, and more regions in the northwest could have really low amounts of it by 2025, says the United Nations in a recent report.
A report called "Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023," from the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), says the world is getting close to six critical environmental limits: more animals dying out, using too much water from underground, mountains' ice melting, too much junk in space, extreme heat becoming unbearable, and a future where some things can't be insured.
Environmental tipping points signify crucial boundaries in the Earth's various systems. If these limits are surpassed, sudden and frequently permanent alterations happen, causing significant and occasionally disastrous transformations in ecosystems, weather patterns, and the broader environment.
Roughly 70% of the water taken from underground sources is utilized for farming, especially when surface water supplies are inadequate. Aquifers serve a vital function in lessening agricultural damages caused by drought, a problem projected to intensify due to climate change.
The report warns that underground water sources are almost at a critical limit. More than half of the world's main underground reservoirs are running out faster than they can fill up naturally. If the water drops below the level that wells can reach, farmers might not get water, which could be bad for the entire food-making process.
Some countries, like Saudi Arabia, have already used up too much underground water, and others, like India, are close to doing the same.
"India uses more underground water than any other country, even more than the United States and China put together. The northwestern part of India grows a lot of the nation's food for its 1.4 billion people, with places like Punjab and Haryana making half of the rice and 85% of the wheat."
The report says that 78% of wells in Punjab are being used too much, and the northwest area might have very little underground water left by 2025.
Jack O'Connor, the main writer and senior expert at UNU-EHS, said, "As we get closer to these critical limits, we'll start feeling the effects. Once we pass them, it will be hard to fix things. Our report can help us see problems before they happen, understand why they're happening, and figure out what we need to change quickly to stop them."
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