Recent climatological conditions and land degradation in drylands

Abstract

According to the newest IPCC sixth assessment report, arid regions, which occupy about 46% of the total land area (excluding Antarctica) and host over a third of the current population, are likely to be faced with more extreme weather phenomena as global warming advances. To develop sustainable land management in drylands, it is essential to gather information by monitoring changes in environmental conditions such as land degradation. In this report, the current climatic aridity situation and the actual arid conditions based on an analysis of satellite data are presented.