Opportunistic Recharge Enhancement in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

Groundwater supplies are stressed by climatic trends, increasing withdrawals, and multiple competing uses, especially in arid and semi-arid environments. We propose opportunistic recharge enhancement (ORE) as a cross-disciplinary, scalable framework to augment groundwater supplies by strategically integrating recharge co-benefits into existing land and water management practices such as forest thinning and stormwater management. These opportunities would allow for enhanced recharge across diverse landscapes, potentially increasing water availability for both human uses and natural systems. A key incentive for ORE is that, while there may be some increases in cost in some cases, the benefits and opportunities for funding may be significantly expanded. Using Arizona, USA, a region experiencing acute groundwater stresses, as an example, we illustrate how ORE can offer a complementary pathway to groundwater resilience with potential to extend to semi-arid and arid areas globally.