Why Groundwater Protection Should Be a National Priority in Drought Strategies

A recent study in Nature Sustainability (2025) on the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Delta found that unsustainable groundwater-fed irrigation during dry seasons reduces flood risks but increases surface freshwater scarcity and saltwater intrusion in coastal regions.

While heavy groundwater pumping supports dry-season agriculture and leads to higher aquifer recharge during monsoon seasons, this recharge is insufficient to offset depletion, creating a vicious cycle:

🔹 Groundwater depletion ➡️ reduced surface runoff ➡️ less surface water for farming ➡️ increased groundwater dependence.

💧 This means that although groundwater use may temporarily reduce flood risk, it undermines long-term water security and resilience to drought.

Key takeaways for drought management:
✅ Groundwater protection must be a clear priority in national drought strategies, rather than a resource to exhaust during crises.
✅ Integrated management of surface and groundwater resources is essential for resilience.
✅ Farmers need support to improve water-use efficiency and adopt practices that reduce dependency on excessive groundwater pumping.
✅ Expansion of agriculture in coastal deltas must consider sustainable recharge strategies to prevent seawater intrusion and further freshwater scarcity.

🌍 These findings are globally relevant, as human pressures and climate change increasingly threaten freshwater systems in coastal and deltaic regions.

✍️ How can countries balance food security with groundwater conservation in drought management plans? Let’s exchange experiences and lessons to strengthen our collective drought resilience.

📖 The link of study:
👉 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01566-0

#DroughtManagement #Groundwater #NatureSustainability #WaterSecurity #UNCCD #CLP