China began a large-scale vegetation restoration programme in 1999 to improve the environment. On the Loess Plateau, however, the rapid growth of vegetation coincided with a decline in groundwater storage and worsening groundwater drought. The region in north-west China already faces frequent droughts and severe water shortages, making the availability of groundwater important for vegetation…

For generations, a Queensland farming family relied on a well that had supplied water for around 140 years. But in 2019, farmer Keogh says the water turned muddy and cloudy after a neighbouring property began test-pumping groundwater. Now, plans for a commercial bottling and processing facility near Warwick have intensified concerns among local farmers, as…