How Degraded Soil is Drying Up the Planet—and Flooding It Too

How Degraded Soil is Drying Up the Planet—and Flooding It Too

This week, the Save Soil movement will release a powerful new report connecting today’s water crises—floods, droughts, and water scarcity—with something most of us overlook: the ground beneath our feet.

The report reveals a critical, often ignored truth: the health of our soil is directly linked to the state of our water. From overflowing rivers in Europe to vanishing groundwater in India and withering crops in Africa, degraded soil is worsening water extremes all over the globe. Here’s what you need to know.

Soil: The Planet’s Water Tank

Healthy, living soil isn’t just dirt—it’s a dynamic, life-filled sponge that absorbs rain, filters it, stores it underground, and gradually releases it. This process keeps rivers flowing, supports crops during dry spells, and prevents sudden flooding after storms.

But across continents, soils are dying. Compacted, eroded, and stripped of organic matter, they’ve lost their ability to hold water. Instead of soaking in, rain runs off quickly, carrying away topsoil and nutrients—causing floods and draining future fertility. During dry seasons, these same areas are left cracked and barren.

A Global Pattern

The Save Soil report outlines how this issue is playing out worldwide:

• Europe saw its hottest year on record in 2024, and southeastern regions had their driest summer in 12 years. Floods killed hundreds and caused €18.2 billion in damage, while nearly two-thirds of the continent’s soils are now considered unhealthy.

• India had 125 districts facing acute dryness in 2023—quadruple the number from the year before. Soil degradation, especially from erosion and salinization, is worsening water shortages and crop failures.

• In Brazil, drought in 2024 affected nearly 60% of the country, cutting off Indigenous communities and worsening wildfires due to dried-out soil and forests.

• South Africa and Australia are both experiencing record droughts, with soil erosion making these regions even more vulnerable to flash floods when rains return.

The result: not only are floods and droughts more extreme, but more people are being displaced, food prices are rising, and conflicts over water are intensifying.

The Fix is Underfoot

There’s good news. The report points to real solutions—ones that are already being implemented in parts of the world. Practices like cover cropping, no-till farming, agroforestry, composting, and rotational grazing rebuild organic matter and bring soil back to life.

Why does this matter? Because even a 1% increase in organic matter lets soil hold thousands more liters of water per hectare. That’s "water in the bank"—critical during both floods and droughts.

Time to Act

By 2050, up to 2.4 billion urban residents could face water shortages. But fixing our soils could help change that trajectory. As Save Soil’s upcoming report makes clear, this is no longer just an agricultural issue. It’s about water, climate, and the future of human life on Earth.

We cannot solve water problems without solving soil problems. And the time to act is now.