America’s food supply depends on increasingly strained aquifers. Here are some essential building blocks for a national effort to secure our groundwater.
A center pivot system using groundwater to irrigate a field in New Mexico. Rural communities across the Southwest face rapidly declining groundwater levels. Photo: Balvarius.
In early 2024, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology’s (PCAST) requested input on how to address the country’s groundwater challenges. For EDF’s Climate Resilient Water Systems team, which has been working on this issue for over a decade, this provided an opportunity to reflect on what strategies have been effective and where we think future efforts should be focused. We submitted written recommendations to the President’s Council and accepted a subsequent invitation from the committee to participate in an in-person workshop to flesh out possible strategies. Read More
