Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Groundwater Storage in Pakistan from Gravimetric Observations

Pakistan’s diverse landscapes and agrarian economy heavily rely on its water resources; however, groundwater scarcity poses a pressing challenge, particularly in the context of agriculture, industry, and households. Groundwater is the predominant water source that faces critical fluctuations influenced by seasonal precipitation changes and agricultural acts. Using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) based terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA), and water storage components from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), significant variations in groundwater storage are revealed. The analysis uncovers uneven groundwater storage patterns across the country, with distinct trends observed in different provinces. Over the past decade, at the national level, groundwater storage has significantly declined, Punjab showed notable decreases in groundwater storage attributed to overexploitation and rising water consumption; Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, and Kashmir have declining trends, and Sindh experienced slightly higher levels of groundwater storage due to flood events. Furthermore, analyses showed that floods have led to substantial increases in storage, impacting all provinces, while droughts have caused significant drops in groundwater storage. These findings underscore the importance of sustainable groundwater management acts and emphasize the importance of provincial strategies and autonomy in developing integrated water resource management approaches, aligning with the country’s National Water Policy.