Kushwaha et al. (2026) Human‐Induced Evapotranspiration in Indian Subcontinental River Basins

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Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-16
• Authors: Anuj Prakash Kushwaha, Vimal Mishra
• DOI: 10.1029/2025jd046274

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

The study quantifies human-induced evapotranspiration (H-ET) across 12 major Indian river basins from 2003 to 2020, revealing that neglecting anthropogenic water use leads to significant overestimations of available water resources.

Objective

• To estimate and quantify human-induced evapotranspiration (H-ET) across 12 major Indian river basins to improve the accuracy of water availability assessments.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: 12 major Indian river basins.
• Temporal Scale: 2003–2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Five land surface hydrological models (HMs).
• Data sources: GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite-based water balance estimates.

Main Results

• ET Discrepancy: GRACE-based ET estimates consistently exceeded HM simulations, particularly during dry seasons, with mean annual differences exceeding 100 mm in several basins.
• H-ET Contribution: In irrigation-intensive basins, H-ET contributes 30%–50% of total evapotranspiration during the dry season.
• Water Availability Overestimation: Failure to account for H-ET results in overestimating total available water by >50% in the Indus, Mahi, and Pennar basins, and by 30%–40% in the Brahmani, Ganga, Godavari, Krishna, Tapi, Narmada, and Mahanadi basins.
• Uncertainty Analysis: Total annual uncertainty is attributed approximately 45% to GRACE products and 55% to the hydrological models.
• Drivers of H-ET: H-ET is primarily driven by groundwater pumping in the Ganga and Indus basins, whereas surface water (runoff) is the dominant driver in the Narmada and Mahanadi basins.

Contributions

• The research provides a critical quantification of the gap between natural and actual evapotranspiration in India, demonstrating that anthropogenic impacts must be integrated into water budget assessments to ensure sustainable water resource planning.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Kushwaha2026HumanInduced,
  author = {Kushwaha, Anuj Prakash and Mishra, Vimal},
  title = {Human‐Induced Evapotranspiration in Indian Subcontinental River Basins},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025jd046274},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jd046274}
}