Li et al. (2025) Impact of coupled climate change and human exploitation on groundwater dynamics in agricultural intensive planting areas

Identification

• Journal: Groundwater for Sustainable Development
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-30
• Authors: J. Li, Bo Li, Peng Qi, Zhijun Li, Yunfei Bai
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101575

Research Groups

• Institute of Water Conservancy and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University
• Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Short Summary

This study investigates the combined impact of climate change and human exploitation on groundwater dynamics in agricultural intensive planting areas, revealing that high emission scenarios significantly magnify groundwater decline, which can be partially mitigated by reducing groundwater extraction.

Objective

• To assess the coupled impact of climate change and human exploitation on groundwater dynamics in agricultural intensive planting areas.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Agricultural intensive planting areas (specific geographical region not detailed in provided text).
• Temporal Scale: Future climate change scenarios, including high emission pathways (specific timeframes not detailed in provided text).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified in the provided text.
• Data sources: Not specified in the provided text, but implicitly involves climate projections for rainfall and evapotranspiration, and data related to irrigation demand.

Main Results

• High greenhouse gas emission scenarios exacerbate warming-driven groundwater recharge loss and increase irrigation demand.
• Climate change significantly amplifies the impact of human activities on groundwater resources.
• Under high emission scenarios, groundwater recharge is reduced due to altered rainfall patterns and increased evapotranspiration.
• A 20% reduction in groundwater extraction can effectively slow the decline of the water table, even under high emission conditions.

Contributions

• Quantifies the synergistic and amplifying effect of climate change on human-induced groundwater depletion.
• Provides a specific, actionable mitigation strategy (20% reduction in extraction) to slow groundwater table decline under future high emission scenarios.
• Highlights the critical need for integrated management of climate change and water resources in agricultural regions.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Li2025Impact,
  author = {Li, J. and Li, Bo and Qi, Peng and Li, Zhijun and Bai, Yunfei},
  title = {Impact of coupled climate change and human exploitation on groundwater dynamics in agricultural intensive planting areas},
  journal = {Groundwater for Sustainable Development},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101575},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101575}
}