Big oil…

According to the article, over 75 percent of Earth’s land has become drier over the past 30 years. Drylands now cover 40.6 percent of global land, excluding Antarctica. The population living in drylands has doubled to 2.3 billion and could reach 5 billion by 2100 under a worst-case climate scenario. The expansion is driven by climate change, poor land management, overgrazing, deforestation, urbanization, and groundwater overuse. Desertification is a permanent loss of fertile land, distinct from temporary drought. Impacts include reduced food and water security, increased poverty, biodiversity loss, dust storms, wildfires, and more carbon emissions. Restoration is possible with large-scale efforts, as shown in China’s Loess Plateau.