Rapid groundwater depletion due to anthropogenic pumping for irrigation poses enormous challenges on socio‐economic, agricultural, and financial spheres of India. However, the role of groundwater depletion on flood potential in India remains unexplored. We examine the role of changes in terrestrial water and groundwater storage on flood potential using in situ and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites observations and the simulations from the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model. Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) has declined significantly (p value <0.05) with a rate of −0.63 cm yr⁻¹ during 2002–2016 in the Indian subcontinent. Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus, Brahmani, and Subernarekha river basins experienced a significant decline while Godavari, Mahi, Tapi, and Narmada basins witnessed a substantial increase in TWS during 2002–2016. The relative contribution of TWS on flood potential is higher than precipitation for the majority of the subcontinental river basins. The significant increase/decline in TWS in the subcontinental river basins is driven by the changes in groundwater storage either due to groundwater pumping or natural variability in climate. A significant decrease (increase) in the flood potential in Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus (Godavari, Narmada, and Tapi) is linked to the changes in groundwater storage, which shows the influence of groundwater storage variability beyond water and food security in the region.

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印度地面水储量变化对洪灾潜力的强烈影响

人为抽水导致的地下水快速耗竭给印度的社会经济，农业和金融领域带来了巨大挑战。但是，在印度，地下水耗竭对洪灾潜力的作用仍未得到探索。我们使用原位和重力恢复与气候实验（GRACE）卫星观测以及可变渗透能力（VIC）模型的模拟，研究了地面水和地下水存储变化对洪水潜力的作用。陆地储水量（TWS）以-0.63 cm yr ^-1的速率显着下降（p值<0.05）在2002-2016年期间在印度次大陆。在2002–2016年期间，恒河，雅鲁藏布江，印度河，布拉马尼和苏伯纳雷卡河流域经历了显着下降，而戈达瓦里，马希，塔皮和纳尔默达河流域的台风水量大幅增加。在大多数次大陆流域中，TWS对洪灾潜力的相对贡献高于降水。在次大陆河流域，TWS的显着增加/下降是由于地下水泵送或气候自然变化引起的地下水储量变化。甘加，雅鲁藏布江和印度河（戈达瓦里，纳尔默达和塔皮）的洪灾潜力显着减少（增加）与地下水储量的变化有关，这表明该地区地下水储量的变化超出了该地区的水和粮食安全范围。