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Almost all freshwater in the world is groundwater; we use it for drinking, washing, growing food, industry, construction, and manufacturing.
About 70% of groundwater withdrawn is used for agriculture, so now with more than 7.5 billion people on the planet, there is an ever-increasing need for water in agricultural production, domestic use purposes, and industrial development.
To meet this need, groundwater is already being over-extracted – leading to the lowering of water tables in some regions. The impacts of groundwater overexploitation are numerous and often irreversible.
Ironically, as opposed to surface water such as rivers and streams, our lifeline (which is buried deep in the ground) gets less attention.
The current rate of groundwater extraction in the continent poses a serious long-term risk to food, water and energy security and livelihoods of people in South and Southeast Asian countries.
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) marks World Water Day 2022, which this year focuses on “Groundwater – making the invisible visible” with an exclusive discussion on the significance of groundwater and its link to disaster and climate risks.
Panelists:
Dr. S.K.Subramanian is a retired Group Director at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He has more than 30 years of professional experience in remote sensing and geomorphology and produced over 50 academic publications.
Mr. Hans Guttman is Executive Director of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). He has more than 25 years of experience in water-related issues across Asia and the Pacific region.
Moderator:
Ms. Vidya Rana, Senior Communications Manager, ADPC
Chapters:
0:00-01:57 Welcoming remarks and background on World Water Day 2022
01:58-02:14 Introduction of the panelists
02:15-05:23 Origins of groundwater
05:24-09:40 Groundwater management in Asia
09:41-12:09 Link to disaster and climate risks
12:10-13:54 Water-based discussions and frameworks
13:55-16:24 Disaster risk reduction and climate change approaches
16:25-22:43 Groundwater management in India
22:44-26:29 ADPC’s support in Asia and the Pacific
26:30-29:20 Closing Remarks by Panelists
29:21-29:30 Acknowledgements
