… As the planet’s atmosphere has quickly warmed thanks to the burning of fossil fuels, the amount of water available in the world’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs has shrunk. To compensate, nations the world over have plundered the water stored underground to irrigate crops and hydrate parched citizens. But many of these hidden water reserves are being sucked dry by humans quicker than they are being replenished through rainfall and snowmelt, or through artificial groundwater recharge. The cascading consequences are immense.