The groundwater system is a unique ecosystem that serves both resource and ecological functions. Hydrogeologists have conducted extensive theoretical research and practical work on groundwater ecological mapping. This paper, based on the study of groundwater resources and surface ecology in the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China, introduces the concept of ecosystem service functions. It establishes a groundwater ecological zoning index system and conducts research of ecological mapping using the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China as examples. Through this process, the ecosystem service functions of groundwater can be more comprehensively reflected, which can better guide regional geological environment protection and industrial planning. This approach helps coordinate the relationship between socio-economic development and water resource protection, maintain the health of the groundwater ecological environment, enhance the value of groundwater ecological services, and promote the sustainable development of regional economies and societies.

This study assess the effectiveness of groundwater pressure extraction in Beijing since the opening of the first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, using survey and evaluation methods. Firstly, an analysis of water consumption structure and the usage of diverted river water in Beijing in recent years was conducted. Secondly, the volume of groundwater pressure extraction in Beijing after the project's inauguration was examined, revealing a decrease from 1.96 billion m³ in 2014 to 1.35 billion m³ in 2020. The proportion of water supply reduced from 52.3% in 2014 to 33.3% in 2020, leading to an optimized water supply structure. By the end of 2020, groundwater pressure extraction in Beijing is estimated at 446 million m³, with a substantial reduction in over-exploitation of groundwater. Groundwater resources have been effectively replenished, and the strategic reserve capacity has been enhanced. Furthermore, this study evaluates the change in groundwater levels as an indicator of the effectiveness of pressure extraction. The declining trend of groundwater levels in Beijing has been effectively mitigated, and there has been a consistent rebound in groundwater levels over the past five years.