A woman draws water from a well in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India, in 2016. Drylands now cover 41% of the world’s landmass, excluding Antarctica, a U.N. report says.
Photo by Hadynyah, courtesy iStockphoto
U.N. scientists are sounding the alarm over a new finding that the world is rapidly becoming drier, with devastating implications for human health.
More than three-quarters of the planet’s landmass has experienced permanently drier conditions over the past three decades, according to a December report from the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification. Particularly hard-hit regions include Europe, Brazil, central Africa, and parts of the western U.S. and Asia.
Drylands, characterized by a scarcity of water and high aridity, now cover about 41% of all land on Earth, excluding Antarctica, contributing to wildfires, famine, human migration and other impacts. High aridity, in which a climate lacks enough moisture to sustain life, is linked to increasing rates of sickness and death around the world, particularly among women and children, according to the U.N.
If global greenhouse gas emissions do not decrease in the near future, another 3% of the world will become drylands by the end of the century, the report said. About 2.3 billion people already live in drylands today, double the number in 1990.
“The report underscores the critical need to address aridity as a defining global challenge of our time,” Narcisa Pricope, PhD, a co-lead author of the report and a professor of geosciences at Mississippi State University, said in a news release.
In the western U.S., higher aridity is already contributing to more frequent and intense wildfires, water shortages and dust storms. In the Southwest alone, research predicts there could be a 220% increase in deaths from airborne dust by 2090, with a 160% increase in hospitalizations.
Aridity’s impacts are being felt around the globe. In the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, once considered the region’s agricultural centers, countries face economic crises as conditions worsen. In Greece, wildfires burned 125,000 hectares in 2023, compared to just over 50,000 in 2012.
Ecosystem degradation and desertification are endangering numerous species in Central Africa and parts of Asia. Globally, more than half of all mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians and birds could lose their habitats to aridity by 2100, research has shown.
By nation, South Sudan and Tanzania have the largest percentage of land that is turning into drylands, the report said.
The world’s growing aridity comes from one main cause, according to the U.N.: the continued widespread use of fossil fuels. As the fuels are burned for energy, transportation, industry and other uses, they release greenhouse gases, which in turn raises temperatures, increases evaporation and changes precipitation patterns.
Despite continued calls from health and environmental leaders for cutbacks, 37.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide were released through fossil fuel use in 2024, setting a new record, according to the Global Carbon Project. Coal burning contributes to the biggest share of annual global carbon dioxide emissions, followed by oil and gas.
To help the world cope with the impacts of aridity, the U.N. report calls for strengthening aridity monitoring, building resilience in communities that are especially vulnerable, adopting more sustainable land-use practices, and establishing national and international frameworks to address the impacts of aridification. It also recommends more investment in programs that improve water efficiency, such as rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation and wastewater recycling, to ensure that water resources are protected.
Nichole Barger, PhD, chair of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface, said policy leaders will need to act sooner rather than later to prevent widespread damage to human health.
“Without concerted efforts, billions face a future marked by hunger, displacement and economic decline.” Barger said in the news release. “By embracing innovative solutions and fostering global solidarity, humanity can rise to meet this challenge. The question is not whether we have the tools to respond — it is whether we have the will to act.”
For more information on “The Global Threat of Drying Lands: Regional and Global Trends and Future Projections,” visit www.unccd.int.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
