AccelNet PEER2PEER Webinar: Spatial Patterns of Groundwater Use and Depletion in Transboundary Aquifers |
Join us virtually for a presentation by Dr. Marc F. Müller of the Eawag – Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. Dr. Müller will discuss new global research on groundwater use and depletion in aquifers that cross international borders. The webinar will be held on April 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM (ET). |
Groundwater is a critical resource for agriculture, cities, and ecosystems around the world. Drawing on insights from game theory on common-pool resources and strategic overuse, Dr. Marc F. Müller will examine whether shared aquifers exhibit systematically higher depletion and border-concentrated exploitation. He will present the first global assessment of groundwater depletion in internationally shared aquifers using long-term trends from over 100,000 wells, showing significantly faster depletion than in matched domestic aquifers and systematic concentration near international borders. Extending the analysis with high-resolution data on irrigated cropland and urban areas, his research finds that groundwater use is also disproportionately border-proximate, with about half of use overlying transboundary aquifers occurring within 100 km of a border. However, these patterns are largely explained by hydrogeography—co-location of rivers, alluvial plains, and irrigation infrastructure—rather than by border-driven competitive overuse. Dr. Müller will introduce a typology of country pairs based on border-zone groundwater use to identify high-risk regions and guide targeted cooperative governance.
In this webinar, Dr. Müller will explore spatial patterns of groundwater use and depletion in transboundary aquifers and assess whether groundwater exploitation tends to concentrate near international borders. Extending the analysis with high-resolution data on irrigated cropland and urban areas, his research examines how hydrogeographic factors—such as rivers, alluvial plains, and irrigation infrastructure—shape patterns of groundwater use. The presentation will also introduce a typology of country pairs based on border-zone groundwater use to help identify high-risk regions and support more targeted cooperative groundwater governance.
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Marc F. Müller is Head of the Coupled Human–Water Systems Research Group at the Eawag – Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology and Associate Research Professor at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. His research examines how water mediates interactions between policy decisions and global environmental change, shaping the distribution of social and environmental impacts across space and time. He works on topics including water security and conflict, food security under water scarcity, transboundary water governance, and the socio-hydrology of climate change, using methods from geospatial data science, remote sensing, econometrics, and systems analysis. |
Head of the Coupled Human–Water Systems Research Group at Eawag – Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Associate Research Professor, United Nations University |
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About the Program: PEER2PEERPEER2PEER brings together global networks focused on transboundary water management. Participants synergize research initiatives, share data and tools, and foster collaboration in transboundary water security scholarship and capacity building. The program supports the translation of engineering, physical science, and social science research into plans and policies for stakeholders and governments at the local, state, and national levels.
This project and webinar are supported under National Science Foundation Award #2114701. |
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