The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reports that 40% of the Earth has become permanently dry in the last three decades. This is known to be a major disaster. According to National News, in the last 30 years, dry land has increased to 4.3 million km2. This means that 40% of the world's surface is now considered dry land, except for Antarctica. More than 25% of the world's population, or approximately 2.3 billion people, live in that area. If this drought continues, the number will reach 5 billion by 2100.
"This drought crisis has been documented with scientific clarity, revealing an existential threat to billions of people worldwide," said UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Tiaw.
