Research on the effects of climate change in the world’s dryland regions revealed that more than half of the world’s land surface could be covered by drylands by 2100 if global emissions continue.
The Xinhua News Agency said that the study was conducted by a team of researchers from Lanzhou University in northwest China's Gansu Province, and was published on Monday, Oct.26, in the latest edition of the journal "Nature Climate Change."
According to the report, drylands will cover 56 percent of the world's land surface by 2100 as a result of continuous high emissions.
Huang Jianping, professor at atmospheric science college under Lanzhou University, said that the study suggested that expansion of drylands will have a massive effect on developing countries, where over three quarters of the expansion is expected to occur.
The professor added that it could worsen poverty and land degradation in areas covered by the dryland.
Huang, the leader of the research team, said that they observed that dryland regions have greater warming trends than humid regions, and determined that the combination of high temperature and aridity with population growth in developing countries will intensify the risks and worsen regional economic development disparity around the world.
According to Huang, the study underscored the urgency and importance of emission cuts and global desertification control.
Drylands refer to regions where evaporation from surfaces and plant leaves has offset precipitation. At present, these regions cover approximately 40 percent of global land surface and are expected to increase in size due to climate change and destructive human activities.