Deep Waters, Slowly Drying Up: Depletion of aquifers is a looming tragedy. New agreements offer hope.
An article on aquifers in The Economist (October 7, 2010)
Clement weather and plentiful water mean that Punjab produces an eighth of India’s total food grains. But the water table has dropped by ten metres since 1973 and the rate of decline is accelerating on both the Indian and the Pakistani sides of the region. It is a similar story for the north-western Sahara aquifer system (NWSAS), shared by Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Withdrawals increased ninefold between 1950 and 2008. Springs are drying up and soil salinity has increased.
