Riyadh: More than 75 percent of the world's land has become "permanently drier" over the past three decades, according to a United Nations-backed report released during the COP16 desertification talks in Saudi Arabia.

The study, conducted by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), reveals that dry land now accounts for 40 percent of the Earth’s land area, excluding Antarctica. The shift, driven by climate change, poses a growing threat to up to five billion people by the end of the century.

"Nearly 77.6 percent of Earth's land has experienced drier conditions from 1990 to 2020 compared to the previous three decades," the report stated. It highlighted that dry land areas, where agriculture becomes increasingly challenging, have expanded by 4.3 million square kilometers during this period—equivalent to a third of India’s size.

Aridity, defined as a chronic shortage of water, now affects 40.6 percent of the planet’s land surface, up from 37.5 percent three decades ago. The areas most affected include nations around the Mediterranean, southern Africa, parts of Asia and Latin America, and southern Australia.

"This is not like droughts, which are temporary. Aridity is a permanent and profound transformation," said Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of UNCCD. "These drier climates will not return to their previous states, and this change is reshaping life on Earth."

The report attributes these conditions to global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, which disrupt rainfall patterns and increase evaporation rates.

Barron Orr, UNCCD's Chief Scientist, emphasized the long-term impacts, stating, "This marks the first time a UN scientific body has linked fossil fuel emissions to permanent drying, potentially leading to catastrophic challenges in water access and ecosystem stability."

The consequences of chronic water shortages include soil degradation, ecosystem collapse, food insecurity, and forced migration. Currently, 2.3 billion people live in areas affected by expanding aridity, a figure that could rise to five billion by 2100 under worst-case scenarios.

To combat this growing crisis, the report calls for integrating aridity metrics into drought monitoring systems, improving soil and water management, and strengthening community resilience.

The COP16 conference in Riyadh, running for 12 days, is focused on addressing these challenges, restoring degraded land, and responding to the ongoing impacts of climate change.