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

地下水提供了美国所用淡水的25%，这在干旱期间尤其显著，因为干旱时增加抽水以弥补地面供应的减少。许多地区的地下水大量枯竭，迫切需要减少干旱的脆弱性。该项目总结了有关地下水与干旱之间的重要关系的科学证据，提出了政策建议，并阐明了重要的信息差距。这份政策研究报告综合了物理和社会科学研究，以了解地下水管理和抗旱能力之间的关系，并向地方、州和联邦机构和政策制定者、学术学者、水管理公用事业公司和用水者传达结果和政策建议，以便他们考虑未来的战略，通过更有效的地下水管理来减少干旱影响，包括水资源短缺。有效地下水管理需要一个跨学科的过程。该项目综合和审查来自物理科学、社会科学以及法律和政策文献的数据，以确定知识差距。将讨论的问题包括：影响地下水使用和管理和供水安全的盆地的水文地球物理特征，气候变化下未来干旱对供水的潜在影响，利益冲突和气候不确定性对地下水使用和管理决策的影响，以及特定管理办法及其分配的益处和影响。考虑了现有的支持地下水安全和可持续性以及提高抗旱能力的法律和政策方案，以及能够减少资源退化和促进更公平获取的潜在激励措施。

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.