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When Civilizations Ran Out of Water: The Silent Collapse of Nations

A kingdom and a capital keep pumping ancient groundwater until the wells run silent-peak water threatens cities and nations' survival.

When Civilizations Ran Out of Water: The Silent Collapse of Nations

In this episode, we lay out how societies came to rely on finite underground water and the policies, engineering, and measurements that kept extraction going even after aquifers were depleted. What happens to a city or country when its water source is already gone?

Person: M. King Hubbert

Person: Peter Gleick

Person: Meena Palaniappan

Location: Saudi Arabia

Location: Sana'a, Yemen

- Saudi…

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