Climate change is both sinking, and lifting, South Africa

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🗞️ Driving the news: New research from the University of Bonn reveals that parts of South Africa’s coastal regions are rising by up to two millimeters annually, a surprising countereffect to rising sea levels driven by climate change
• The uplift is linked not to deep Earth tectonics, but to severe droughts, which deplete underground water, lighten the land, and cause it to slowly rise — even as coastal cities like Cape Town and Durban continue to face intensified flood risks

🔭 The context: South Africa has increasingly suffered from extreme weather, such as the devastating 2017 storms that killed eight people and damaged over 135 schools
• Meanwhile, policymakers have struggled to integrate ocean and climate concerns
• Traditionally, changes in land elevation were attributed to tectonic processes, but the new study by geodesist Makan Karegar points instead to hydrological changes induced by climate variability, offering new insights into the dynamic relationship between climate, land, and sea

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: While land uplift might seem to offer a slight natural defense against sea level rise, scientists warn it comes at a severe cost: drought and water scarcity inland
• This phenomenon highlights the interconnectedness of climate impacts — solving one problem may worsen another
• Understanding these processes could strengthen drought monitoring, groundwater management, and more resilient climate adaptation strategies, crucial for South Africa and similarly affected regions

⏭️ What's next: Researchers emphasize the need for South Africa to better integrate ocean and climate policy and leverage these findings for improved water management and climate resilience planning
• As extreme weather events become more frequent, balancing the risks between coastal flooding and inland drought will be critical
• Future studies will likely refine models predicting land surface changes under varying climate scenarios

💬 One quote: "Here if I had to decide between a decreasing sea level rise at the coast versus drought in the interior, I would choose sea level as the least-worst option." — Jasper Knight, University of Witwatersrand

📈 One stat: South Africa’s ground uplift rate due to drought is approximately two millimeters per year, according to satellite and GPS data

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