Chinese Academy of Sciences study: Asian water tower loses 24.2 billion tonnes of groundwater yearly.
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High Mountain Asia, the Asian water tower, is losing about 24.2 billion tonnes of groundwater each year, according to a satellite-based study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Aerospace Information Research Institute. Roughly two-thirds of the region recorded declining groundwater storage between 2003 and 2020, with the largest losses in the Ganges-Brahmaputra, Indus and Amu Darya basins.
Key Facts
- Climate-related forces explained nearly half of the observed variation in groundwater storage, with changes in the cryosphere playing an especially important role.
- Human groundwater withdrawals became an increasingly significant source of depletion after 2010, particularly in downstream agricultural regions that rely heavily on irrigation.
- Researchers reconstructed about 20 years of groundwater storage changes across High Mountain Asia using an AI-powered model that combined observations from multiple satellites, Earth system modelling and explainable AI.
- Between 2003 and 2020, some inland areas at higher elevations experienced localized increases in groundwater storage.
- The study was led by Prof. Shudong Wang of the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and published in Environmental Research Letters.
Groundwater Decline Patterns
Researchers reconstructed about 20 years of groundwater storage changes across High Mountain Asia using an AI-powered model that combined observations from multiple satellites, Earth system modelling and explainable AI. Roughly two-thirds of the region experienced declining groundwater storage between 2003 and 2020. The largest losses occurred in heavily populated downstream basins where irrigation demand is high, including the Ganges-Brahmaputra, Indus and Amu Darya basins. Some inland areas at higher elevations recorded localized increases in groundwater storage over the same period.
Drivers of Depletion
Climate-related forces explained nearly half of the observed variation in groundwater storage, with changes involving the cryosphere playing an especially important role. Human withdrawals of groundwater became an increasingly significant source of depletion, particularly in downstream agricultural regions that rely heavily on irrigation. The influence of human water use became more pronounced after 2010.
Methodology and Publication
The study was led by Prof. Shudong Wang of the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research used a framework guided by existing scientific knowledge while drawing on large amounts of observational data. The findings were published in Environmental Research Letters.
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Chinese Academy of Sciences study: Asian water tower loses 24.2 billion tonnes of groundwater yearly.
