8 Things to Know About New Research on Earth’s Rapid Drying and the Loss of Its Groundwater

A recent study using over 20 years of NASA satellite data reveals a widespread phenomenon of continental drying impacting 75% of the world's population. Nearly 6 billion people reside in 101 countries facing a net decline in freshwater supply, a critical threat to humanity. The primary driver of this depletion is the extensive mining of underground freshwater aquifers, accounting for 68% of freshwater loss in populated areas. Much of this pumped groundwater eventually flows into the oceans, contributing significantly to sea level rise, surpassing the impact of melting glaciers and ice sheets. As droughts intensify, farmers increasingly rely on groundwater for agriculture, with little of this water replenishing aquifers. These drying regions are merging to form extensive "mega-drying" areas across continents, such as one encompassing Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The pace of this drying has accelerated since 2002, growing by an area twice the size of California annually. The rapid depletion of groundwater, which formed over millions of years, is largely irreversible on human timescales. This accelerated drying, coupled with coastal flooding, increases the risk of famine, mass migration, and geopolitical instability.