Enough fresh water is lost from continents each year to meet the needs of 280 million people. Here's how we can combat that.

Cracked, dry soil during a drought.

Earth's continents are drying up at an alarming rate. Now, a new report has painted the most detailed picture yet of where and why fresh water is disappearing — and outlined precisely how countries can address the problem.

Continental drying is a long-term decline in fresh water availability across large land masses. It is caused by accelerated snow and ice melt, permafrost thaw, water evaporation and groundwater extraction. (The report's definition excludes meltwater from Greenland and Antarctica, the authors noted.)