Freshwater is disappearing from the world’s continents faster than ever before. New satellite data shows a clear and alarming trend: more land is drying out every year, and the loss of water isn’t balanced by gains elsewhere. Since 2002, an area twice the size of California has been drying out annually. These newly merged dry zones now span entire continents and threaten the water security of billions.
In a major new study, scientists from Arizona State University used more than two decades of data from NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO missions to measure these changes. They found that 75% of the world’s population—living in 101 countries—has been affected by shrinking water supplies since 2002. This trend is now being called “continental drying,” and its effects are far-reaching: from drought and failed crops to rising sea levels and growing instability in regions that depend on groundwater.
Four Mega-Drying Zones
Researchers uncovered a startling shift since 2014–2015, years marked by a record-setting El Niño event. Since then, drying has sped up across the Northern Hemisphere, and several smaller “hotspots” have merged into four massive dry zones.
One zone stretches across the American Southwest and Central America, hitting cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Mexico City, while draining key agricultural areas in California. Another reaches across Alaska and Northern Canada, where melting glaciers and thawing permafrost have triggered major water loss. A third spans Northern Russia, where warmer temperatures are melting snow and ice in the high latitudes. The fourth—and perhaps most concerning—covers a vast swath from North Africa to the Middle East and through Asia and Europe. This includes places as different as Dubai, Ukraine’s farmland, and China’s major crop regions.
The shift wasn’t expected. Even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s climate models didn’t fully predict this pattern. Only the tropical regions are still consistently getting wetter. For everywhere else, drying is spreading—and speeding up.
Groundwater at the Breaking Point
The researchers made a striking discovery: 68% of the total loss in terrestrial water came from groundwater. That’s more than the water being lost from glaciers, ice caps, or even the massive Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
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Jay Famiglietti, the lead investigator and a Global Futures Professor at ASU, warned that this is one of the most serious signs of the climate crisis. “Continents are drying, freshwater availability is shrinking, and sea level rise is accelerating,” he said. “The consequences of continued groundwater overuse could undermine food and water security for billions of people around the world.”
Groundwater acts like a hidden reserve—an ancient savings account of freshwater built up over thousands of years. But instead of being saved for droughts or emergencies, it’s being tapped constantly, even in wet years. Hrishikesh A. Chandanpurkar, the study’s lead author, compared this misuse to raiding a trust fund. “We are not trying to replenish the groundwater systems during wet years,” he said, “and thus edging towards an imminent freshwater bankruptcy.”
Drying Fuels Rising Seas
The impacts of this drying aren’t limited to land. When freshwater disappears from continents, most of it ends up in the ocean, raising global sea levels. Until recently, melting ice sheets were the main contributors. Now, the loss of freshwater from land—especially groundwater—is contributing more than Greenland and Antarctica.
This shift has major consequences for coastal cities. Sea level rise increases the risk of flooding, saltwater intrusion, and the destruction of ecosystems. Even slight changes in sea level can increase storm surge impacts and damage infrastructure.
What’s more, the trend may not reverse anytime soon. If current rates of drying and groundwater depletion continue, land-based water loss could remain a bigger driver of sea level rise than even the world’s melting ice sheets.
A Call to Action
The study, published in Science Advances, isn’t just a warning—it’s a demand for urgent global action. With freshwater disappearing and sea levels rising, the researchers say better water management is essential. This means creating policies to stop overpumping groundwater, protect wetlands and rivers, and build cooperation across borders.
Famiglietti emphasized the importance of immediate action. “This is an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ moment,” he said. “We need immediate action on global water security.”
The research also helps lay the groundwork for the World Bank Group’s upcoming flagship report on freshwater loss. That report will explore how these changes affect economies, ecosystems, and people—and offer solutions for countries facing growing water challenges.
New strategies could include recharging groundwater during rainy seasons, switching to crops that need less water, and sharing water data openly across nations. Without these steps, food production, urban growth, and climate resilience will all face serious risks.
Urgency Amid a Hotter World
As the planet heats up—2024 is now on track to be the hottest year in 175 years—the water crisis is getting worse. Rising temperatures lead to more evaporation, melting ice, and erratic rainfall. This creates a cycle where dry places get even drier, making communities more dependent on limited groundwater reserves.
At the same time, population growth continues. The United Nations projects the global population will keep rising for another 50 to 60 years. That means more people will need access to clean water just as supplies become harder to find.
Scientists say that understanding long-term water trends is vital for tackling this crisis. Satellite data, like that from the GRACE missions, offers one of the only ways to track changes in water storage over time and across the globe. But more local data is needed too.
“This study really shows how important it is to have continuous observations,” said Chandanpurkar. “More in-situ observations and data sharing would further support making this separation and inform water management.”
The Path Forward
The message from this research is clear. The world is running out of freshwater, and the losses are accelerating. But there is still time to act.
By shifting toward sustainable water policies, working together across nations, and investing in long-term monitoring, it’s possible to slow down the drying trend. The future of water doesn’t have to be a crisis—if we act now.
Note: The article above provided above by The Brighter Side of News.
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