Key Takeaways:
- Over the past three decades, about 77.6% of the globe has faced increased dryness.
* An area larger than India, about 1.66 million square miles, has transformed into drylands. - 8% of the planet has crossed from non-dryland to dryland, potentially increasing to an additional 3% by the 21st century end if greenhouse emissions are not reduced.
- Higher aridity is largely due to human-induced climate change affecting temperature and rainfall.
- Expanded dryland regions could include the U.S. Midwest, central Mexico, southern Africa, and the entire Mediterranean.
Unprecedented Dryness Across the Globe
An alarming report has revealed that 77.6% of the Earth has become permanently drier over the past 30 years. This shift in global dryness, which saw an increase from 1990 to 2020, has surpassed observations from the preceding three decades. Particularly striking is the expansion in the Earth’s drylands, growing by nearly 1.66 million square miles. This swelling area, bigger than India, now covers more than 40% of the Earth’s surface.
The Rapid Expansion of Drylands
The transformation from moist, fertile landscapes to sparse, arid terrains has been significant over recent decades. The report shows about 8% of the Earth’s areas recently reclassified, transitioning from non-dryland to dryland categories. Many of these regions used to experience abundant moisture and humidity. An alarming revelation is that another 3% of the globe’s similar regions could face the same fate by the end of the 21st century if greenhouse gas emissions continue without reduction.
Impact of Climate Change on Aridity
The increasingly arid conditions the globe experiences can be largely attributed to human-caused climate change. The changing climate directly influences temperatures and rainfall patterns, creating an environment conducive to dryness. Despite dryness differing from drought situations, parallels can be drawn from the recent trends in western U.S. There, higher temperatures have driven up the risk of catastrophic fires due to the decreased snowpack.
Regions at Risk of Expanding Drylands
As drylands continue to grow, many regions globally are on a watchlist for potential impacts, as suggested by the report. The U.S. Midwest, central Mexico, vast stretches of southern Africa, and the entire Mediterranean region could be on the brink of drier climates under high-emissions circumstances. Given the gravity of the situation, mitigating emissions would be a deciding factor in preventing these areas from becoming drylands.
Permanent Shifts: The New Normal?
Emphasizing the severity of the issue, the report discusses the permanent transformation from fertile ground to arid land. Unlike temporary periods of low rainfall, or droughts, this shift represents a steadfast change in the region’s condition. Once an environment locks into a drier climate, the possibility of returning to previous conditions becomes nonexistent. This transformation, according to the report, is the new reality Earth’s inhabitants will have to adapt to. As the transformation progress, the world witnesses the redefining of life on Earth. These newer, drier climates affecting vast lands across the globe is here to stay, marking a pressing call to address climatic repercussions.
As Earth continues to face grave environmental changes, the takeaway from the report’s findings is clear: swift action is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change and prevent more of the world from becoming a dryland.