Falling Water Tables, Falling Harvests
Thanks to Lester Brown for this insightful look at the world’s freshwater situation.
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Scores of countries are overpumping aquifers as they struggle to satisfy their growing water needs. The drilling of millions of irrigation wells has pushed water withdrawals beyond recharge rates, in effect leading to groundwater mining. The failure of governments to limit pumping to the sustainable yield of aquifers means that water tables are now falling in countries that contain more than half the world’s people, including the big three grain producers–China, India, and the United States.
For full article, visit:
http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/Seg/PB3ch04_ss2.htm
