Abstract

Introduction

Materials and methods

Characterization and interconnections between drought and

Management responses

Governance and policy

Outlook for drought and groundwater management

Conclusions

Declaration of competing interest

Acknowledgments

References

Abstract

     Droughts have severe impacts on the economy, society, and environment. They also have impacts on groundwater and vice versa. While most analyses consider drought and groundwater as disconnected, we argue that drought and groundwater management should be conjunctively considered. This article presents some key interconnections, identifies challenges, and discusses illustrative policy responses. We highlight several advancements found in international scientific research and describe future directions for drought and groundwater management. While many technological innovations have improved our understanding of drought and groundwater’s complex nature, policy and governance advances have not kept pace.

Introduction

     Though droughts are a normal part of the hydrologic cycle, their frequency and severity are increasing. Droughts can cause severe socioeconomic, environmental, and political impacts, especially for arid/semi-arid regions that are highly vulnerable to consequences of groundwater overdraft [1, 2, 3∗, ۴, ۵∗]. Conversely, groundwater management affects droughts in many ways, with emergency strategies often deployed (e.g., drilling more wells) that can exacerbate groundwater depletion [6]. Aridification is likely to increase, and droughts are likely to be worsened, due to climate change [7]. Therefore, users need a greater understanding of how to appropriately manage drought and groundwater [3,8]. As the 2022 United Nations report states, groundwater has vast potential and attention must be paid to its careful management [9].

     Certainly, decision-makers, water users, and scientists have discovered new innovations for understanding and managing groundwater in drought conditions [10]. For instance, the European Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC) has been designed to complement the more comprehensive 2000 Water Framework Directive (WFD), which was established as an integrated water management approach [11].

Conclusions

     Our review of the recent literature confirms the crucial and timely relevance of focusing on drought and groundwater management. The review highlighted the need for both a greater understanding of their interconnected impacts and a long-term, systemic perspective. The latter considers varying and complex spatial–temporal characterizations with multiple, overlapping jurisdictions. These characterizations include using remote sensing data to understand changes in storage, linking data for understanding drought, and modelling to link water, food, and policy decisions. While these technologies have helped scientists make great progress on understanding relationships between drought and groundwater management, much is left to be discovered.

     Groundwater quality and management techniques have seen advancements. Poorer groundwater quality resulting from droughts and impacts to human health has been further explored. New adaptation measures have been developed and tested, particularly in the areas of MAR and conjunctive management.