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Drylands Could Cover 40.28% of Earth by 2100

9/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Chinese Academy of Forestry researchers project drylands could cover up to 40.28% of Earth's land by 2071–2100.
They note rising CO2 levels may slow dryland expansion by reducing plant transpiration and PET estimates.
Current data (1994–2023) show drylands already cover about 38.58% of land, excluding Antarctica.
Hyper-arid zones are projected to expand most, adding up to 2.37 million km²—roughly Algeria’s size.

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Story summary

Chinese Academy of Forestry researchers project drylands could cover up to 40.28% of Earth's land by 2071–2100.
They note rising CO2 levels may slow dryland expansion by reducing plant transpiration and PET estimates.
Current data (1994–2023) show drylands already cover about 38.58% of land, excluding Antarctica.
Hyper-arid zones are projected to expand most, adding up to 2.37 million km²—roughly Algeria’s size.