Drylands, characterized by an aridity index (AI) below 0.65, cover about 45% of the Earth’s land and support more than 3 billion people. Severe water scarcity in these areas poses significant risks to human well-being and ecosystems. However, our understanding of long-term changes in surface water storage and their causes is limited due to insufficient high-quality data with adequate coverage and resolution. Drylands, characterized by an aridity index (AI) below 0.65, cover about 45% of the Earth’s land and support more than 3 billion people. Severe water scarcity in these areas poses significant risks to human well-being and ecosystems. However, our understanding of long-term changes in surface water storage and their causes is limited due to insufficient high-quality data with adequate coverage and resolution. Earth Sciences Environment Phys.org – latest science and technology news stories
Decoupling of water storage and rainfall in drylands highlights human impact
