A 2024 UN report reveals alarming trends in global drylands, with 40.6% of land affected and 2.3 billion people residing in these regions. Over the last 30 years, a significant rise in dryness has been noted, and projections indicate that if greenhouse gas emissions persist, the number of people living in drylands could reach 5 billion by 2100. Drylands are at risk of desertification, a permanent loss of fertility caused by climate change and human activity. The report emphasizes the distinction between temporary droughts and the irreversible nature of desertification.
"Historically, there has been a lot of confusion about the difference between drought and desertification," said Michela Biasutti, a climate scientist at Lamont-Doherty.
Desertification occurs when an area's climate turns drier, and fertile land becomes barren due to factors caused by human activities-mainly climate change and poor land use.
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