What is Groundwater

Climate change poses uncertainties to the supply and management of water resources. While climate change affects surface water resources directly through changes in the major long-term climate variables such as air temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration, the relationship between the changing climate variables and groundwater is more complicated and poorly understood. The greater variability in rainfall could mean more frequent and prolonged periods of high or low groundwater levels, and saline intrusion in coastal aquifers due to sea level rise and resource reduction. This chapter presents the likely impact of climate change on groundwater resources and methodology to assess the impact of climate change on groundwater resources.