Rapid Land Surface Uplift and Groundwater Recovery Observed During the Syrian War

Abstract Recent geopolitical upheaval in Syria is driving regional growth by returning populations, which increases demands on water resources. In northwest Syria, widespread cropland abandonment during the Syrian War starting in 2011 drastically changed the hydrological regime of the region. Here, we show how this situation, which constitutes an uncoordinated, large‐scale “reverse pump test”, has resulted in regional groundwater recovery. River discharge has increased, springs have re‐emerged, and regions are now episodically uplifting up to 4 cm/year in wet years. By combining conflict event databases and remote sensing techniques, including Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, we identify a strong correlation between conflict‐induced cropland abandonment and land surface uplift, indicating spatially‐variable groundwater recovery. Conversely, in areas where groundwater abstraction persisted, subsidence has continued unabated. As ground‐based data are nearly non‐existent in war‐afflicted Syria, this remote sensing‐based approach enables a unique assessment of water storage dynamics and reveals the risk of unsustainable groundwater exploitation in the future.