Even though some areas are affected by extensive flooding, the general trend is that the planet's land surfaces are drying, according to a new analysis from the UN's commission to combat desertification, UNCCD.
77.6 per cent of the Earth's land areas became drier over the three decades leading up to 2020, compared to the previous thirty-year period. More than 40 per cent of the land area (excluding Antarctica) is now considered dry, an increase of 4.3 million square kilometers.
The drying affects almost all parts of the world, leading to less fertile soil, lost harvests, threatened biodiversity, and more frequent sandstorms and wildfires.
To a large extent, the drying is due to global warming caused by human greenhouse gas emissions, according to the report.
