Understanding the social drivers of satellite-observed changes in freshwater availability

Recent studies have highlighted negative trends in satellite-observed freshwater storage in many of the world's irrigated agricultural regions and suggest that the trends are human-induced. With the broader aim of tracking and quantifying direct and indirect human impacts on the global water cycle, this study builds a framework to assess regional to global-scale hydrologic changes and how they respond to human activity. Using long-term remote sensing data on changing freshwater availability (including surface water and groundwater) in juxtaposition with socioeconomic data, we map the recent historical interplay between supply and demand in critical water availability hot spots. We apply data sets of population density, agricultural expansion, and lifestyle development trends on the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus to more closely understand the demographic and policy drivers of satellite-observed changes in freshwater availability. Implications for water, food, and energy security are discussed.