A city in northern Libya is being plagued by rising groundwater. The flooding is threatening the foundations of houses and many people have been forced out of their homes by a rising tide of sewage. Experts are puzzled by the potential environmental disaster.

Zliten

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently amid rising sea-levels and increasing temperatures.

Climate Crisis

Mysterious groundwater surge floods Libyan towns

Mohammed al-Qadhi's home was flooded last month. He and most of his neighbours were forced to leave. The ground is still wet. When I came back home there was a horrific smell. The entire house dropped about seven centimetres. There were cracks in the walls and ceilings. The water didn't come from rainfall, but from under his home. Groundwater has been rising across areas in Zliten, flooding neighbourhoods and damaging homes. Atiyah Johan says it has shifted the foundations of his home. Because of the water, the roof and walls were separated from the foundations throughout the entire home. Not just my home, but all my neighbours. We pumped the water out, but it just comes back. The house will fall at any time. The government is renting small apartments to house Atiyah and others who were displaced. Experts across Libya don't know exactly what's causing the groundwater to rise, but they attribute the flooding to climate change, inadequate infrastructure and above-average rainfall in recent years. Just today 10 to 15 families were forced out of their homes and more families are expected to be evacuated. We brought academics and experts in geology and related fields from across the country so we can put together a comprehensive report on the causes and put solutions to the government. Most homes in the city with a population of around 320,000 use septic tanks. The rising groundwater is contaminated with sewage and that's because, according to city officials, less than 6% of the homes in Zliten are connected to the government sewage network. The contaminated water is raising concerns waterborne diseases will spread. The government has sent in teams to help. The men have been extracting more than 1.2 million litres a day from this area for more than two weeks. Mustafa Mohammed heads the emergency committee in Zliten. Right now we're working on temporary fast fixes. The government's bringing in foreign experts to help, but we're also working on medium and long-term solutions. Despite all these efforts, the water keeps on rising and more people are likely to find themselves forced out of their homes. Malek Choina, Al Jazeera, Zliten.

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Council of the City of Sydney

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Nairobi

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U.S. Presidential Election

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Climate Crisis