Vol. 8 No. 2 (2024)
Perspective

Groundwater: Sinking Cities, Urbanisation, Global Drying, Population Growth

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  • John Edward Pattison,
  • Peter Cooke
John Edward Pattison
University of South Australia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3197/JPS.63799977346492

Published 2024-05-01 — Updated on 2024-07-30

Keywords

  • Groundwater Over-Extraction,
  • Subsidence,
  • Infrastructure Damage,
  • Population Growth,
  • Urbanisation,
  • Urban Sustainability
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Pattison, John Edward, and Peter Cooke. 2024. “Groundwater: Sinking Cities, Urbanisation, Global Drying, Population Growth”. The Journal of Population and Sustainability 8 (2):77-104. https://doi.org/10.3197/JPS.63799977346492.

Copyright (c) 2022 John Edward Pattison, Peter Cooke

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

An examination of a few examples of aquifer-use shows the importance and fragility of groundwater, with poor management leading to over-extraction by individuals and authorities producing subsidence – sinking cities. Freshwater is one of our most precious resources and it is rapidly disappearing, leading to global drying. At the same time, the global and urban populations are increasing, with civil unrest increasing due, in part, to freshwater shortages. The increasing global population and global urbanisation are driving an increase in water use, restriction of aquifer recharge and increased aquifer pollution. It is argued that urban population growth with attendant increased water use, combined with climate change and poor management, is significant in water stress. Particular attention must be paid to the effect of rising populations on local water resources, especially groundwater, and the knock-on effect on urban sustainability.

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