Despite the fact that water is a renewable resource, the world’s supply of groundwater is steadily decreasing, especially in North America and Asia. To deal with the prolonged drought, many Californian farmers have been drilling deep down on their lands to get enough water supply for agricultural production. However, obviously this is not a sustainable solution. Over-reliance on groundwater means saltwater invades coastal aquifers. If aquifers are exhausted, the whole economy will take a severe hit and we will have no other water source to rely on in the worst scenario.
Regulations regarding the use of groundwater by private landowners have been updated lately accordingly. The new regulation does not take away the right of landowners to pump out groundwater under their lands but gives more control to local agencies to oversee the amount being exhausted. Considering the fact the water is one of the most critical natural resources, there has to be immediate actions to tackle the problem of water depletion.
Over-reliance on groundwater in “Desperately Dry” California
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