groundwater extraction
Credit: VectorMine/BigStock Photo ID: 325356871
Europe's groundwater crisis deepens
Europe's groundwater, once considered abundant, is now facing a critical decline in both quality and quantity due to climate change and industrial overexploitation.
Zeynep Sentek, Jelena Prtorić, Sarah Pilz report for Under the Surface.
In short:
- More than 15% of Europe's aquifers are in poor condition, impacting major crop-producing countries like Spain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
- Many countries fail to provide comprehensive data on groundwater status, hindering the assessment of the full extent of the crisis.
- The EU is criticized for not enforcing stricter water management laws, often succumbing to agricultural and chemical industry pressures.
Key quote:
“Water is difficult to find and expensive. It is no longer sustainable this way. More and more growers are giving up.”
— Bart Trybou, Belgian farmer
Why this matters:
Groundwater depletion and contamination threaten food security, public health, and economic stability across Europe. The failure to address this issue could lead to severe shortages and broader environmental crises. Read more: Farming for a small planet.
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Credit: Malcolm K./Flickr
Mexico city's metro system faces sinking crisis due to subsidence
A dire study reveals that Mexico City's metro system is sinking rapidly due to subsidence, posing risks to its infrastructure and passenger safety.
In short:
- Subsidence, caused by the compaction of land due to groundwater extraction, is sinking Mexico City at rates of up to 20 inches per year.
- The uneven sinking poses threats to infrastructure, with nearly half of the elevated segments of the Metro experiencing differential subsidence.
- Flooding, electrical system disruptions, and increased rail slopes are among the potential dangers.
Key quote:
“Trains can get derailed very easily if there is a slight change in the leveling of the railways.”
— Manoochehr Shirzaei, environmental security expert at Virginia Tech.
Why this matters:
As cities face subsidence due to over-extraction of groundwater and global sea levels continue their inexorable rise, infrastructure risks and public safety concerns amplify. Can we adapt to climate change in ways that solve other problems too?
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California moves closer to imposing groundwater use limits
Officials will weigh whether to directly intervene, for the first time in state history, to stop aquifers from being wrung dry in the Central Valley.
California moves closer to imposing groundwater use limits
Officials will weigh whether to directly intervene, for the first time in state history, to stop aquifers from being wrung dry in the Central Valley.
(Community Water Justice/Facebook)
Amid climate concerns, bill would curb Poland Spring's long-term water extraction deals
“We just have to hit pause, because once these contracts are signed, they [can be] 40 years,” Rep. Maggie O’Neil said. “That’s a whole generation.”
Newsletter
(Community Water Justice/Facebook)
Amid climate concerns, bill would curb Poland Spring's long-term water extraction deals
“We just have to hit pause, because once these contracts are signed, they [can be] 40 years,” Rep. Maggie O’Neil said. “That’s a whole generation.”
Newsletter
| BigStock Photo ID: 368508085 |
| Copyright: Sweetpepper |
Just four pupils left: how the sea rose up on a Thai village
The school is on stilts, the shore has advanced by 2km – and the mangroves that used to reduce the waves have been lost for shrimp farms. How long can residents stay ahead of rising sea levels?
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