Unprecedented continental drying, shrinking freshwater availability, and increasing land contributions to sea level rise
- Hakan Sener
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 13
A 2025 study shows land water loss now exceeds glacier melt in sea level rise, with 75% of the population in drying countries.
A study published in Science Advances (2025) by Hrishikesh A. Chandanpurkar, James S. Famiglietti, and colleagues reveals that Earth’s continents are experiencing an unprecedented loss of freshwater. By analyzing NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO satellite data from 2002 onwards, the authors uncover accelerating terrestrial water storage (TWS) decline, with profound implications for water security, regional climate, and global sea levels.
The study finds that “mega-drying” zones are spreading across the Northern Hemisphere, including high-latitude regions and Central America, with dry areas drying faster than wet areas are getting wetter. Critically, these changes are no longer just local problems—drying continents are now contributing more freshwater to sea level rise than melting glaciers or polar ice sheets.
Key Findings: A Planet Parched and Rising
75% of Global Population Lives in Drying Countries
Between 2002 and 2023, 101 countries—home to three-quarters of the world’s population—experienced net freshwater loss.
This is no longer an isolated phenomenon: continental drying is now globally pervasive.
“Mega-Drying” Areas Are Expanding Rapidly
Each year, areas undergoing drying grow by twice the size of California.
Key hotspots include high-latitude regions, Central America, and Europe, with drying increasingly intense and persistent.
Groundwater Depletion Is the Main Driver
Across non-glaciated land, groundwater depletion accounts for 68% of total water loss.
This is especially significant in irrigated agricultural regions—unsustainable water extraction is drying the land from below.
Land Now Rivals Ice Sheets in Sea Level Contribution
Continental freshwater loss now exceeds the contributions of land glaciers and ice caps to sea level rise.
For the first time, drying land areas are a leading source of ocean water gains, a shift with major implications for climate models and coastal resilience.
Why This Matters: A Hidden Engine of Sea Level Rise
Traditional narratives around sea level rise focus on melting glaciers and thermal expansion. This study challenges that view, revealing that human-managed land systems and regional climate shifts are pushing vast volumes of water into the oceans.
As dry regions shrink their capacity to hold water through vegetation loss, groundwater decline, and soil degradation, continental interiors are effectively draining into the sea, raising global sea levels from the inside out.
A Tipping Point for the World’s Water
The Chandanpurkar et al. study paints a stark picture of a planet losing its freshwater grip. As drying intensifies across continents and aquifers are drained faster than they replenish, the consequences ripple far beyond agriculture or drinking water. Land-based water loss is now a major driver of global sea level rise, and unless urgent action is taken, this hidden engine of climate change will accelerate.
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