Climate variability and change can directly affect subsurface (both saturated and unsaturated) hydrological processes through changes in precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and recharge rates. Anthropogenic disturbances, including changes of human activities (such as land use/land cover, fertilizer and irrigation application) due to climate variability, could affect subsurface hydrological processes and groundwater quality. There is an immediate need to link the projected impacts of climate variability, anthropogenic disturbances, and their associated social, economic, and public health implications. This session seeks presentations that advance our understanding of the impacts of climate and human development on the sustainability of subsurface systems that address: (i) impacts of climate variability on groundwater quantity and quality; (ii) socio-economic, demand-led strategies for managing groundwater withdrawals, agricultural production and water quality; (iii) linkage of climate variability, anthropogenic disturbances, and public health. This session welcomes modeling, field, and laboratory studies on all spatial and temporal scales.