Scientists have revealed that mega droughts are increasing in frequency and intensity, posing serious threats to water resources, food security, and increasing wildfires.
A team led by Dirk Karger from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research analyzed mega droughts worldwide between 1980 and 2018.
Over 13,000 mega droughts lasting at least two years were identified, with periods since the 1980s becoming drier and hotter.
The research found that mega droughts are occurring across nearly all continents, with the most severe one occurring in North America between 2008 and 2014. A 2022 study also showed that the mega drought in the region from 2000 to 2021 was the most severe in the last 1,200 years.
New findings show that droughts are affecting larger areas, with the 500 most severe ongoing droughts expanding by about 50,000 square kilometers annually, larger than Switzerland's total area. Satellite imagery analysis also revealed the impact of droughts on ecosystems, with grasslands and pastures being more sensitive to water changes and turning from green to brown, while tropical and taiga forests were less affected but may still face damage in the future.
Although the study did not directly link human-induced climate change to mega droughts, scientists noted that the findings align with current expectations.
Rising temperatures increase evaporation rates from soil, and decreasing rainfall intensifies the severity and duration of droughts.
Benjamin Cook from Columbia University emphasized that the study shows long-term droughts can have as severe consequences as other climate disasters like wildfires or hurricanes.
Cook stated, "The most important issue for both people and ecosystems is the cumulative impact of droughts."
The rise of mega droughts is a warning sign, not just for ecosystems but for humanity as well.
