COP16 study cautions that three-quarters of the world's terrain is 'permanently drier'
The alterations are primarily linked to global warming resulting from greenhouse gas emissions.
TroibNews 
According to a UN-backed report released on Monday, coinciding with the COP16 talks on desertification in Saudi Arabia, over 75 percent of the world’s land has become "permanently drier" over the past three decades.
The study by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification indicates that dry land now encompasses nearly 40 percent of the Earth's land mass, excluding Antarctica, warning this shift could impact up to five billion people by 2100.
"Some 77.6 percent of Earth's land experienced drier conditions during the three decades leading up to 2020 compared to the previous 30-year period," the report stated.
The findings reflect an "existential threat" from what appear to be irreversible trends, showing that dry land—regions where agriculture is challenging—increased by 4.3 million square kilometers from 1990 to 2020, an area equivalent to a third the size of India.
This warning was issued during the ongoing 12-day meeting in Riyadh for the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties under the UNCCD, which aims to protect and restore land and address drought in the context of climate change.
The report identifies that aridity, characterized by a chronic scarcity of water, now spans 40.6 percent of the Earth's land mass—up from 37.5 percent three decades ago.
Nations most severely impacted include those bordering the Mediterranean, southern Africa, southern Australia, and various regions in Asia and Latin America.
"Unlike droughts – temporary periods of low rainfall – aridity represents a permanent, unrelenting transformation," stated Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary.
He further emphasized, "The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were and this change is redefining life on Earth."
The report attributes these changes primarily to global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions, which alter rainfall patterns and enhance evaporation.
"For the first time, a UN scientific body is warning that burning fossil fuels is causing permanent drying across much of the world," remarked lead UNCCD Chief Scientist Barron Orr.
He warned of "potentially catastrophic impacts affecting access to water that could push people and nature even closer to disastrous tipping points."
The consequences of ongoing water shortages encompass soil degradation, ecosystem decline, food insecurity, and forced migration, the scientists noted.
Currently, 2.3 billion people reside in areas experiencing expanding dryness, and projections indicate a "worst-case scenario" wherein five billion people could find themselves in these conditions as global temperatures continue to rise.
To combat this alarming trend, experts urged members to "integrate aridity metrics into existing drought monitoring systems,” enhance soil and water management, and “build resilience in vulnerable communities."
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The study by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification indicates that dry land now encompasses nearly 40 percent of the Earth's land mass, excluding Antarctica, warning this shift could impact up to five billion people by 2100.
"Some 77.6 percent of Earth's land experienced drier conditions during the three decades leading up to 2020 compared to the previous 30-year period," the report stated.
The findings reflect an "existential threat" from what appear to be irreversible trends, showing that dry land—regions where agriculture is challenging—increased by 4.3 million square kilometers from 1990 to 2020, an area equivalent to a third the size of India.
This warning was issued during the ongoing 12-day meeting in Riyadh for the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties under the UNCCD, which aims to protect and restore land and address drought in the context of climate change.
The report identifies that aridity, characterized by a chronic scarcity of water, now spans 40.6 percent of the Earth's land mass—up from 37.5 percent three decades ago.
Nations most severely impacted include those bordering the Mediterranean, southern Africa, southern Australia, and various regions in Asia and Latin America.
"Unlike droughts – temporary periods of low rainfall – aridity represents a permanent, unrelenting transformation," stated Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary.
He further emphasized, "The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were and this change is redefining life on Earth."
The report attributes these changes primarily to global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions, which alter rainfall patterns and enhance evaporation.
"For the first time, a UN scientific body is warning that burning fossil fuels is causing permanent drying across much of the world," remarked lead UNCCD Chief Scientist Barron Orr.
He warned of "potentially catastrophic impacts affecting access to water that could push people and nature even closer to disastrous tipping points."
The consequences of ongoing water shortages encompass soil degradation, ecosystem decline, food insecurity, and forced migration, the scientists noted.
Currently, 2.3 billion people reside in areas experiencing expanding dryness, and projections indicate a "worst-case scenario" wherein five billion people could find themselves in these conditions as global temperatures continue to rise.
To combat this alarming trend, experts urged members to "integrate aridity metrics into existing drought monitoring systems,” enhance soil and water management, and “build resilience in vulnerable communities."
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
