Conservation groups urge global groundwater action before UN water summit
EDF, IUCN, and IWMI released a joint statement calling for greater investment and cooperation on groundwater resilience ahead of the December UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. They note that roughly 70% of major aquifers are declining long-term, while groundwater supplies about half of domestic water use and over 40% of irrigation water. The statement seeks new data tools, equitable governance, and knowledge-sharing, and invites governments to endorse it.
The joint statement arrives before a December UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. It notes that groundwater accounts for 97% of unfrozen freshwater and supplies about half of domestic use and more than 40% of irrigation. Around 70% of major aquifers show long-term declines, which the groups say can be effectively irreversible.
The groups seek better data and decision tools, fairer governance, and shared knowledge. They invite governments and institutions to back the statement. Examples cited include Colorado River Basin losses equal to Lake Mead’s capacity, Mexico City’s 2024 water crisis, Chennai’s Day Zero, sinkholes in Turkey’s Konya Plain, and stressed Spanish aquifers.
If governments endorse and act on the statement, farmers, households, and ecosystems reliant on groundwater could benefit from more coordinated monitoring and governance. Communities already facing scarcity—such as those in Mexico City, Chennai, or the Konya Plain—may see greater attention and investment. However, because groundwater is often locally managed and slow to recover, any societal gains may depend on sustained funding, data sharing, and equitable rules, and may not be immediate.