A dry rice field affected by drought is seen at Hudianxiang village in Xinyang, in central China’s Henan province on June 18, 2024 Climate change impact Aridity vs. drought Saltier soils Restoration and resilience 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. This story was originally published by Grist . Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here . Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Climate change is accelerating this trend. New research has found global warming has made 77% of the Earth’s land drier over the past three decades while rapidly increasing the proportion of excessively salty soils. Drylands, or arid areas where water is hard to come by, now make up more than 40% of the planet (excluding Antarctica), a likely permanent consequence of climate change, according to a landmark report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD. Another new analysis, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or FAO, found that roughly 10% of the world’s soils are affected by excess salt, with another 2.5 billion acres at risk. Support for LAist comes from Become a sponsor These interwoven trends threaten agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and ecosystem health while exacerbating food and water insecurity. Together, the two reports sound an urgent alarm: Unless the world curbs emissions, these shifts will continue, with grave implications. “Without concerted efforts, billions face a future marked by hunger, displacement, and economic decline,” said Nichole Barger, an aridlands ecologist who works with the UNCCD. Climate change impact […]