Underground Water Resources Are Running Out!

Scientists warned that international food trade is depleting groundwater resources in many parts of the world beyond their replenishment rate.

In the study published in the journal "Nature", it was stated that agricultural production around the world is increasingly based on hard-to-renew underground water resources, and the sustainability of the majority of the global food trade is provided from these sources, which are problematic.

While the water used in agriculture around the world was around 20 percent in 2000, this rate has increased to 43 percent in the last 10 years.

Scientists stated that this increase was due to the growth in international trade in food and agricultural products.

“CAN CAUSE FOOD CRISES IN THE FUTURE”

Noting that the majority of the world's population meets their food needs from large-scale agricultural production by consuming underground water resources, scientists warned that depletion of resources may lead to food crises in the future.

In the research, it was noted that 11 percent of the world's groundwater resources are consumed for global food trade, and Pakistan, the USA and India are the countries that export the agricultural products produced with these resources the most.

While the USA, Mexico, Iran, Saudi Arabia and China are the countries that use groundwater resources the most in agriculture, it is noteworthy that these countries are also among the countries that import the products produced with these resources the most.

“CONSUMED 50 TIMES FAST THAN RENEWAL SPEED”

In the example of Iran given in the study, it was stated that the country's rice requirement is mostly obtained from the production of Pakistan's Upper Ganges and Lower Indus groundwater, and that these resources are consumed 50 times faster than the renewal rate. On the other hand, it was noted that the Basra groundwater, which Iran uses for its own agricultural production, is consumed 20 times more than its regeneration rate.

Lead author of the study, University of London Academy Lecturer Dr. Carole Dalin stated that the depletion rates of underground water resources are at an alarming level, “If water reserves are depleted, food prices will be affected, which puts the entire world population in a difficult position.” made its assessment.

NTV Ecology