UN warns of an impending 'existential crisis' that destroys crops and leaves billions facing starvation - as report reveals three-quarters of Earth's land has become permanently drier in last three decades
Share:
Humanity is facing an 'existential crisis' that threatens billions around the globe, the UN has warned. A report from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) shows that more than three-quarters of all land on Earth has become permanently drier over the last 30 years.
![[A new report shows that more than 75 per cent of the Earth's land has become permanently drier over the last three decades (marked in various shadings on this map)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/09/14/92954955-14173193-A_new_report_shows_that_more_than_75_per_cent_of_the_Earth_s_lan-a-36_1733754968728.jpg)
Since 1990, arid regions have expanded by an area a third larger than India and now cover 40 per cent of the Earth's land excluding Antarctica. Experts warn that this has 'dire implications for agriculture' as an increasingly hot climate turns the world's former 'breadbaskets' – lush grain-growing regions – into drylands.
![[The UN warns that this will have 'dire' consequences for agriculture as the world's drylands have expanded by 4.3 million square kilometres (1.66 million square miles). Pictured: A struggling farm in Kenya]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/09/14/92954937-14173193-The_UN_warns_that_this_will_have_dire_consequences_for_agricultu-a-34_1733754968637.jpg)
By 2040, the UN predicts that the spread of arid areas will cost the world 20 million tonnes of maize, 21 million tonnes of wheat, and 19 million tonnes of rice. The researchers conclude with certainty that human-caused climate change is the principal reason for this deadly crisis.
![[Already more than 2.3 billion people live in arid regions. If nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (right) this number could more than double to five billion]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/09/14/92954949-14173193-Already_more_than_2_3_billion_people_live_in_arid_regions_If_not-a-37_1733754968811.jpg)
If nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the number of people living in drylands will more than double from 2.3 billion to 5 billion in 2100. UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw says: 'For the first time, the aridity crisis has been documented with scientific clarity, revealing an existential threat affecting billions around the globe.'.
![[Scientists from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) say that 2024 is now virtually certain to be the hottest year on record and the first year to exceed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/09/12/91758703-14173193-Scientists_from_the_Copernicus_Climate_Change_Service_C3S_say_th-a-29_1733746918920.jpg)
The UN has warned that humanity is facing an 'existential crisis' as the Earth's arid areas have rapidly expanded over the last 30 years. Pictured an Australian farmer inspects his dead wheat crop following a drought in New South Wales. A new report shows that more than 75 per cent of the Earth's land has become permanently drier over the last three decades (marked in various shadings on this map).
![[As global temperatures increase, this puts increasing strain on the global agriculture system. This map shows the areas at the highest risk of disruption by drought in red]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/09/14/92954943-14173193-As_global_temperatures_increase_this_puts_increasing_strain_on_t-a-39_1733754968890.jpg)
