ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL1.CCS/2024/Manual.4
Country: Arab region
Publication Type: Training material
Cluster: Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability
Focus Area: Climate change
Initiatives: Improved Water Security in Arab States, RICCAR, Arab Centre for Climate Change Policies, Climate Resilience through Regional Cooperation, AWARENET
SDGs: Agenda 2030, Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, Goal 13: Climate Action
Keywords: Arab countries, Case studies, Climate change, Groundwater, Manuals, Mathematical models, Recommendations, Teaching, Water
Assessing climate change impact on groundwater resources: Training manual
June 2025
Groundwater constitutes a vital source of freshwater in the Arab region, where growing population pressures are driving an increase in water demand. However, aquifers across the region are facing severe threats due to overexploitation and unsustainable abstraction. The anticipated impact of climate change on water resources in the region is likely to intensify reliance on groundwater at a time when groundwater recharge is also expected to decline. This situation necessitates an integrated management of both surface and groundwater resources. It is critical to address the impact of climate change on groundwater regionally when implementing technical measures that strengthen community resilience. It has therefore become imperative to examine the impact of climate change on groundwater reserves in light of the increasing demand for water.
The present training manual aims to build capacity and enhance proficiency in assessing the impact of climate change on groundwater reserves, with a view to promoting the sustainable management of groundwater resources in support of water and food security in the Arab region. The manual is based on a specific case study that involves the development of a groundwater model and the download of precipitation data from regional climate models developed in the framework of the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR). The model incorporates projections for future periods extending to the end of the century.
Related content
Climate change
Groundwater constitutes a vital source of freshwater in the Arab region, where growing population pressures are driving an increase in water demand. However, aquifers across the region are facing severe threats due to overexploitation and unsustainable abstraction. The anticipated impact of climate change on water resources in the region is likely to intensify reliance on groundwater at a time when groundwater recharge is also expected to decline. This situation necessitates an integrated management of both surface and groundwater resources. It is critical to address the impact of climate change on groundwater regionally when implementing technical measures that strengthen community resilience. It has therefore become imperative to examine the impact of climate change on groundwater reserves in light of the increasing demand for water.
The present training manual aims to build capacity and enhance proficiency in assessing the impact of climate change on groundwater reserves, with a view to promoting the sustainable management of groundwater resources in support of water and food security in the Arab region. The manual is based on a specific case study that involves the development of a groundwater model and the download of precipitation data from regional climate models developed in the framework of the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR). The model incorporates projections for future periods extending to the end of the century.
