This study investigates the impact of human activities, particularly carbon emissions, on groundwater storage (GWS) in four representative basins: the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), Pearl River Basin (PRB), Great Lakes Basin (GLB), and Rhine Basin (RB). The research uses carbon emissions as an indicator of human activity intensity and combines this with GWS data from 17,152 grid cells over 16 years. The findings show a generally negative correlation between carbon emissions and GWS, with agriculture and aviation having positive impacts. Aviation and agriculture can have long-lasting effects on GWS, up to 7 years. The study also highlights that regions with high economic development tend to have favorable conditions for groundwater storage. The results provide insights into the substantial role of human activities in influencing groundwater dynamics and support the development of integrated strategies for groundwater management and emission reduction.This study investigates the impact of human activities, particularly carbon emissions, on groundwater storage (GWS) in four representative basins: the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), Pearl River Basin (PRB), Great Lakes Basin (GLB), and Rhine Basin (RB). The research uses carbon emissions as an indicator of human activity intensity and combines this with GWS data from 17,152 grid cells over 16 years. The findings show a generally negative correlation between carbon emissions and GWS, with agriculture and aviation having positive impacts. Aviation and agriculture can have long-lasting effects on GWS, up to 7 years. The study also highlights that regions with high economic development tend to have favorable conditions for groundwater storage. The results provide insights into the substantial role of human activities in influencing groundwater dynamics and support the development of integrated strategies for groundwater management and emission reduction.