Life on Earth vitally depends on the availability of water. Human pressure on freshwater resources is increasing, as is human exposure to weather-related extremes (droughts, storms, floods) caused by climate change. Understanding these changes is pivotal for developing mitigation and adaptation strategies. The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) defines a suite of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), many related to the water cycle, required to systematically monitor the Earth's climate system. Since long-term observations of these ECVs are derived from different observation techniques, platforms, instruments, and retrieval algorithms, they often lack the accuracy, completeness, resolution, to consistently to characterize water cycle variability at multiple spatial and temporal scales.Here, we review the capability of ground-based and remotely sensed observations of water cycle ECVs to consistently observe the hydrological cycle. We evaluate the relevant land, atmosphere, and ocean water storages and the fluxes between them, including anthropogenic water use. Particularly, we assess how well they close on multiple temporal and spatial scales. On this basis, we discuss gaps in observation systems and formulate guidelines for future water cycle observation strategies. We conclude that, while long-term water-cycle monitoring has greatly advanced in the past, many observational gaps still need to be overcome to close the water budget and enable a comprehensive and consistent assessment across scales. Trends in water cycle components can only be observed with great uncertainty, mainly due to insufficient length and homogeneity. An advanced closure of the water cycle requires improved model-data synthesis capabilities, particularly at regional to local scales.
An assessment of global groundwater quality is needed in response to the threats posed by anthropogenic and geogenic contaminants. This essay summarises the challenges involved, including a large number of potentially relevant water quality parameters, the poor availability of data in many regions and the complex nature of groundwater systems. Direct monitoring data can sometimes be augmented by indirect methods such as earth observations, and by involving citizen science. A new web portal is being developed to complement existing databases.
Improving our understanding of groundwater quality threats to human health and the environment is essential to protect and manage groundwater resources effectively. This essay highlights some global groundwater quality challenges, describes key contaminant groups and threats of emerging concern, including antimicrobial resistance, and discusses novel approaches to assessing groundwater quality. Groundwater quality monitoring needs to improve significantly in order to effectively identify and mitigate threats to groundwater from historical, current and future pollution.
El monitoreo, o vigilancia del agua subterránea, es la principal herramienta para conocer el comportamiento general de un acuífero, que permite mejorar su gestión y tomar medidas para su manejo sustentable. La falta de monitoreo sistemático del agua subterránea es uno de los obstáculos para la gestión sostenible. Por ello, el Centro Internacional para la Evaluación de los Recursos Hídricos Subterráneos (IGRAC por sus siglas en inglés), situado en Delft (Holanda) ha desarrollado la Red Global de Monitoreo de Aguas Subterráneas (GGMN), programa que tiene como objetivo mejorar la calidad y accesibilidad a la información del monitoreo a nivel global y, con ello, mejorar el conocimiento sobre el estado del recurso. Así mismo, el Centro Regional para la Gestión de Aguas Subterráneas (CeReGAS), ubicado en Montevideo (Uruguay) es un organismo que tiene como objetivo apoyar a países de América Latina a mejorar la gestión sustentable de sus aguas subterráneas proporcionando las capacidades científicas y técnicas para apoyar el desarrollo sostenible del recurso a través de un enfoque integrado. En este trabajo, CeReGAS e IGRAC, a través del programa GGMN, presentan una aproximación al estado del monitoreo cuantitativo de las aguas subterráneas en América Latina. El estudio muestra que existen situaciones diversas en la región. Se presenta el relevamiento realizado y sus resultados, con ejemplos de redes nacionales de Brasil y Chile, redes locales, con el caso de Argentina, y la ausencia de redes de monitoreo, con el caso de Honduras.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.