Groundwater Decline and Recovery Quiz

What has been causing global water levels to fall on average?

• Increase in water management

• Decrease in population

• Sustainable groundwater withdrawals

• Excessive rainfall

What has been causing the land to sink in many parts of Iran?

• Increase in water management

• Decrease in population

• Sustainable groundwater withdrawals

• Excessive rainfall

What is the first effort to synthesize global-scale groundwater data collected on site?

• Satellite analysis

• Quantifying the scope of global groundwater loss

• Analyzing data collected by NASA satellites

• Analyzing water level data collected in monitoring wells

How many monitoring wells around the globe were analyzed by the researchers?

• 50,000

• 100,000

• 150,000

• 200,000

In what percentage of the aquifers studied, water levels are now dropping by more than half a meter per year?

• 6%

• 12%

• 18%

• 24%

In which region were the fastest declines in water levels detected?

• Central Chile

• Iran

• Western United States

• All of the above

What regulatory measures helped reverse groundwater losses in Thailand's Bangkok basin?

• Charging fees on groundwater pumping and licensing wells

• Diverting water from a large dam

• Satellite analysis

• Quantifying the scope of global groundwater loss

Which basin in Iran is now recovering after water was diverted to the basin from a large dam in the west of the country?

• Abbas-e Sharghi

• Malard

• Tehran

• Isfahan

What is the key trigger for human migration or displacement worldwide?

• Economic instability

• Climate change

• Water shortage

• Food shortage

Identifying regions most at risk could lead to timely policy interventions, especially for which type of aquifers?

• Cross-border aquifers

• Urban aquifers

• Coastal aquifers

• Mountain aquifers