""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."
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.
Read at State of the Planet
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