Science Policy Research Report: A Synthesis of Available Information and Analysis of Knowledge Gaps to Advance Groundwater Security Under Drought

地下水提供了美国25%的淡水，这在干旱期间尤为重要，因为为了弥补地表水供应的减少，需要增加抽水量。许多地区的地下水大量枯竭，迫切需要减少干旱脆弱性。该项目总结了科学证据，提出了政策建议，并阐明了重要的信息差距，关于地下水和干旱之间的重要关系。该政策研究报告整合了物理和社会科学研究，以了解地下水管理与抗旱能力之间的关系，并将结果和政策建议传达给地方，州和联邦机构和政策制定者，学术学者，水管理公用事业和水用户，因为他们考虑通过更有效的地下水管理减少干旱影响，包括水资源短缺的未来战略。有效的地下水管理需要一个跨学科的过程。 该项目综合和审查了来自自然科学、社会科学以及法律的和政策文献的数据，以确定知识差距。将讨论的问题包括：流域的水文地球物理特征，因为这些特征影响到地下水的使用和管理以及供水安全;气候变化下的未来干旱对供水的潜在影响;相互竞争的利益和气候不确定性对地下水使用和管理决策的影响;特定管理办法及其分布的好处和影响。 现有的法律的和政策方案，以支持地下水的安全和可持续性，提高抗旱能力，以及潜在的激励措施，可以减少资源退化，促进更公平的访问被认为是。

Groundwater provides 25 percent of fresh water used in the United States, which is especially significant during drought when pumping is increased to compensate for reduced surface supplies. Groundwater depletion is extensive in many areas and there is a critical need to reduce drought vulnerability. This project summarizes the scientific evidence, makes policy recommendations, and illuminates important information gaps, regarding the important relationships between groundwater and drought. This policy research report integrates physical and social science research to provide an understanding of the relationship between groundwater management and drought resilience and communicates results and policy recommendations to local, state and federal agencies and policymakers, academic scholars, water management utilities and water users, as they consider future strategies to reduce drought impacts, including water shortages, through more effective groundwater management. Effective groundwater management requires an interdisciplinary proces. This project synthesizes and reviews data from the physical sciences, the social sciences, and the legal and policy literature, to identify knowledge gaps. Issues that will be addressed include the hydrogeophysical characteristics of a basin as these affect groundwater use and management and water supply security, and the potential impact of future droughts under climate change on water supplies and the effect of competing interests and climate uncertainty on decisionmaking regarding groundwater use and management, and the benefits and impacts of particular management approaches and their distribution. The legal and policy programs that exist to support groundwater security and sustainability and increase drought resilience, and potential incentives that can reduce resource degradation and promote more equitable access are considered.