Groundwater resources, climate and vulnerability

Groundwater is an important component of the freshwater system and its role is becoming even more prominent as the more accessible surface water resources become increasingly exploited to support increasing populations and development. Yet despite its significance, there has been comparatively little research conducted on groundwater relative to surface water resources, particularly in the context of climate change impact assessment. This focus issue has therefore been assembled to expand upon the currently limited knowledge of groundwater systems and their links with climate. Many of the papers included here explore the interrelated issues of groundwater resources, climate-related changes and vulnerabilities at a regional scale in different continents and globally.

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Focus on Groundwater Resources, Climate and Vulnerability Contents

Groundwater: from mystery to management T N Narasimhan

Simulated response of groundwater to predicted recharge in a semi-arid region using a scenario of modelled climate change M W Toews and D M Allen

Long-term climatic change and sustainable ground water resources management Hugo A Loáiciga

Climate change and groundwater: India's opportunities for mitigation and adaptation Tushaar Shah

Vulnerability to the impact of climate change on renewable groundwater resources: a global-scale assessment Petra Döll

Influence of soil heterogeneity on evapotranspiration under shallow water table conditions: transient, stochastic simulations Stefan J Kollet

Nutrient cycling and N₂O emissions in a changing climate: the subsurface water system role Georgia Destouni and Amélie Darracq

Rainfall intensity and groundwater recharge: empirical evidence from the Upper Nile Basin M Owor, R G Taylor, C Tindimugaya and D Mwesigwa