Driven by climate change, groundwater overuse, and worsening drought, this “mega-drying” is now contributing more to sea level rise than melting ice sheets. Four massive drying zones—stretching from North America to Eurasia and North Africa—are emerging, threatening water supplies for billions.
Unprecedented Global Water Loss Uncovered

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The negative implications of this for available freshwater are staggering. 75% of the world’s population lives in 101 countries that have been losing freshwater for the past 22 years. According to the United Nations, the world’s population is expected to continue to grow for the next 50 to 60 years — at the same time the availability of freshwater is dramatically shrinking.

Unprecedented Freshwater Loss

Earth’s continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. A new Arizona State University-led study highlights the emergence of four continental-scale “mega-drying” regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, with staggering implications for freshwater availability.

Groundwater: A Hidden Culprit

The researchers identified the type of water loss on land, and for the first time, found that 68% came from groundwater alone — contributing more to sea level rise than glaciers and ice caps on land.

“These findings send perhaps the most alarming message yet about the impact of climate change on our water resources,” said Jay Famiglietti, the study’s principal investigator and a Global Futures Professor with the ASU School of Sustainability. “Continents are drying, freshwater availability is shrinking, and sea level rise is accelerating. The consequences of continued groundwater overuse could undermine food and water security for billions of people around the world. This is an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ moment — we need immediate action on global water security.”

This figure shows the long-term terrestrial water storage trends from GRACE/FO averaged for every country (2/2003-4/2024). Credit: Arizona State University and US-German GRACE and GRACE-FO missions.

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