The ecological tipping point called the environmental flow limit by the scientists has already reached in 15 to 21 per cent of watersheds tapped by humans. The rivers and streams are in the parts of region where groundwater is used for irrigation most of the rivers like the Mexico and Northern India.
Inge de Graaf, a hydrologist at the University of Freiburg in Germany said it is really alarming that the groundwater and surface waters are intimately connected, and too much pumping is creating a ticking time bomb. Over half of pumped watersheds will pass a critical ecological threshold by 2050 if the pumping continues at current rates. Anywhere from 49 percent to 70 percent of pumped watersheds will have crossed this edge.
The vast majority of accessible freshwater on Earth is the water stored in aquifers underground. The abundance of it has fueled forays into drier locales like the California’s Central Valley enabling a boom in crop production. About 70 percent of the groundwater being used worldwide goes to agriculture but surface waters (rivers and streams) rely on it too. Too much pumping by the people and too quickly leads to natural waterways going empty compromising freshwater ecosystems.
Graaf further said that humans need to think about it now and not 10 years later which will be too late and irresponsible. He added that humans will have to decrease pumping these areas by developing better irrigation options globally. The research study has shown places where more targeted, more sustainable efforts need to be made.