Groundwater depletion poses a challenge to irrigated agriculture and water access. Depleted aquifers can be refilled, but the interventions that have successfully refilled depleted aquifers are rarely reviewed. This work reviews 67 cases of groundwater recovery, where groundwater levels rose after a prolonged period of decline. The interventions that spurred groundwater recovery included policy changes, artificial groundwater recharge, and increased reliance on another water source instead of groundwater. Groundwater recovery can improve water access, restore ecosystems, slow seawater intrusion, and halt land subsidence. However, excessive groundwater recovery can waterlog soils, destabilize buildings, increase liquefaction risks, and intensify flood hazards. This Analytical Review describes how groundwater depletion trends have been reversed through interventions. Stakeholders and managers may consider adapting aspects of these interventions to address groundwater depletion elsewhere.
Scott Jasechko (2026) studied this question.