For many people around the world, fresh water already is – and in some cases has been – a significant issue.
As temperatures continue to rise, however, more people will likely be forced to abandon their homes and migrate simply to access clean, fresh water.
In fact, researchers claim that warm groundwater will impact more than 75 million people by the year 2100.
Groundwater temperatures are set to ruse by around 6.3°F by then, which would exceed the highest threshold set for drinking water by any country.
Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) modeled this scenario, basing projections on two other scenarios, called SSP 2-4.5 and SSP 5-8.5.
Each reflects different socioeconomic development pathways and future greenhouse gas concentrations. In one scenario, groundwater temperatures rise by 3.8°F by 2100, and in the other, they rise by 6.3°F.
According to Dr. Susanne Benz, a lead author on the study, some areas of the world will feel the burn more intensely than others.
“The world’s highest groundwater warming rates can be expected at locations with a shallow groundwater table and/or high atmospheric warming.”
In other words, for some folks, the groundwater will be undrinkable.
“There are already about 30 million people living in regions where the groundwater is warmer than stipulated in the strictest drinking water guidelines. That means it may not be safe to drink the water there without treatment. It may need to be boiled first, for example. The drinking water also gets warmed up in water pipes by heat in the ground. Depending on the scenario, as many as several hundred million people could be affected by 2100.”
The researchers estimate that between 77-188 million people could be affected.
Warm groundwater is a problem because the temperature influences a host of biogeochemical processes that impact its quality.
“Under certain conditions, rising groundwater temperatures can lead to increasing concentrations of harmful substances like arsenic or manganese. These higher concentrations can have a negative impact on human health, especially when groundwater is used as drinking water.”
Pathogens like Legionella spp can also grow, and they affect ecosystems, biodiversity, and carbon and nutrient cycles.
“Our results show how important it is to take action to protect groundwater and find lasting solutions to counteract the negative impact of climate change on groundwater.”
One more thing to worry about, I suppose.
But to be fair, we should have been worried about the water a long time ago.