Three-Quarters of the World’s Land Is Drying Out, “Redefining Life on Earth”

By Ayurella Horn-Muller – Eos.org

As Earth grows warmer, its ground is becoming drier and saltier, with profound consequences for the planet’s 8 billion inhabitants—nearly a third of whom already live in places where water is increasingly scarce and the ability to raise crops and livestock is increasingly difficult.

Climate change is accelerating this trend. New research has found global warming has made 77 percent of the Earth’s land drier over the past three decades while rapidly increasing the proportion of excessively salty soils.