World Sustainability Day 2023: Environmental tipping points are critical thresholds in the Earth's systems, beyond which abrupt and often irreversible climate changes occur
A recent report by the United Nations warns that several areas within the Indo-Gangetic basin in India have already reached a critical threshold of groundwater depletion, and the entire northwestern region is on track to experience severely low groundwater availability by 2025.
This report, titled "Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023" and published by the United Nations University-Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), underscores that the world is nearing six environmental tipping points. These include accelerating extinctions, groundwater depletion, melting mountain glaciers, space debris, unbearable heat, and an uninsurable future.
Environmental tipping points signify crucial thresholds in the Earth's systems, beyond which rapid and often irreversible changes take place, leading to profound and sometimes catastrophic alterations in ecosystems, climate patterns, and the overall environment.
Approximately 70% of groundwater withdrawals are utilized for agriculture, often when surface water sources are inadequate. Aquifers play a vital role in mitigating agricultural losses caused by drought, a challenge expected to intensify due to climate change.
Nevertheless, the report raises concerns that the aquifers themselves are approaching a tipping point. Over half of the world's major aquifers are depleting at a faster rate than they can naturally recharge. When the water table drops below a level accessible by existing wells, farmers may lose access to water, posing a significant risk to entire food production systems.
Certain countries, like Saudi Arabia, have already surpassed the groundwater risk tipping point, while others, including India, are not far from reaching it.
"India is the largest consumer of groundwater globally, surpassing the combined use of the United States and China. The northwestern region of India serves as the nation's primary food source, with the states of Punjab and Haryana producing 50% of the country's rice supply and 85% of its wheat stocks," the report notes.
However, it also points out that 78% of wells in Punjab are deemed overexploited, and the entire northwestern region is anticipated to face critically low groundwater availability by 2025.
Jack O'Connor, the lead author and senior expert at UNU-EHS, emphasized, "As we approach these tipping points, we will already begin to experience the impacts. Once crossed, it will be difficult to go back. Our report can help us see the risks ahead of us, the causes behind them, and the urgent changes required to avoid them."