Drylands Could Cover 40% of Earth by 2100, Scientists Warn

By the century's end, the world's arid and semi-arid lands may claim more than 40 percent of Earth's surface — a quiet but profound redrawing of the planet's livable geography. Driven by rising temperatures, shifting rainfall, and accelerating evaporation, this expansion threatens the agricultural foundations and water security that billions of people depend upon. Scientists note that plants, responding to elevated CO₂ by using water more efficiently, may offer a partial natural reprieve — though not a rescue. The projection is less a prophecy than a mirror: what humanity does now will determi