Research on Groundwater Drought and Sustainability in Badain Jaran Desert and Surrounding Areas Based on GRACE Satellite

A severe decline in groundwater sustainability threatens the Badain Jaran Desert's unique sand dune-lake system. Using GRACE satellite data and in situ observations from 2003 to 2022, researchers found that 99.2% of the region experienced significant groundwater storage loss, with the Groundwater Drought Index dropping from 1.44 to -1.54 annually. By 2022, the southeastern area faced extreme stress (GGDI: -3.04), while the Sustainability Index plummeted from 1.00 to 0.01, signaling critical human-induced impacts. These findings underscore urgent needs for adaptive groundwater management in arid regions.

Liu, X., Wang, N., Wang, Y., Meng, N., Wang, Y., Qiao, B., Lu, R., & Yang, D. (2025). Research on Groundwater Drought and Sustainability in Badain Jaran Desert and Surrounding Areas Based on GRACE Satellite. Land, 14(1), 173. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010173