A dry cow skull with horns lies on barren ground in the sun.

Credit: Photo by PATRICIA CHAPPLE on Unsplash

Groundwater overuse is drying the planet and raising the seas

A global study warns that rampant groundwater pumping is accelerating drought, fueling sea level rise, and threatening food security for billions.

Abrahm Lustgarten reports for ProPublica.

In short:

Nearly six billion people live in countries losing more freshwater than they gain, largely due to groundwater overuse, according to a 22-year NASA satellite analysis.
Groundwater depletion is now a bigger driver of sea level rise than glacier melt, with much of the pumped water ending up in oceans, permanently lost for human use.
As aquifers collapse and cities sink, from Mexico City to Jakarta, the risks to food systems, political stability, and global security are mounting rapidly.

Key quote:

“The massive overpumping of groundwater poses enormous risk to food production.”

— Peter Gleick, climate scientist and member of the National Academy of Sciences

Why this matters:

The planet is shrinking from the inside out. In a sweeping new global analysis, NASA satellites reveal that billions of people live in countries bleeding out their freshwater faster than it’s being replaced, and the culprit is mostly underground. This invisible crisis is quietly reshaping coastlines, accelerating climate impacts, and setting the stage for widespread food shortages, mass migration, and geopolitical tension. If the U.S. and others don't act soon, health and security risks will intensify.

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