[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/9535\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStretching sands as desertification spreads to Europe\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe scale of the issue is sometimes under-appreciated, but drylands cover over 41% of the Earth\u2019s terrestrial land surface. They are now home to over 38% of the world\u2019s population. The UN sponsors the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/observances\/desertification-day\u0022\u003EWorld Day to Combat Desertification and Drought \u003C\/a\u003Eon 17 June 2022 to highlight the issue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDroughts lead to the loss of arable land through desertification, the death of vegetation and a scarcity of drinking water.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEurope is not immune to the intensifying aridity, quite apart from heatwaves. Water stress and aridity affect 168 000 square kilometres in Italy and 365 000 square kilometres in Spain, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu\/scientific-activities-z\/drought-monitoring_en\u0022\u003Edata compiled by the Joint Research Centre (JRC)\u003C\/a\u003E. (See box below).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EScientists in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/715254\u0022\u003EDRY-2-DRY\u003C\/a\u003E project, using climate models, satellite data and meteorological measurements, are researching the capacity of drought and heatwaves to intensify and propagate by themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is a process that hasn\u2019t been studied before,\u2019 said Prof Diego Miralles, Professor of Hydrology and Climate at Ghent University, Belgium.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrought evolution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018By understanding it better, we can get better forecasts of how droughts may evolve and set early warnings for adaptation early enough,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This balance of moisture has been changing due to global warming. While precipitation is changing differently in different regions, evaporation is mostly increasing due to the increase in temperature. Therefore, there is a tendency for most regions in the world to become increasingly arid,\u2019 said Miralles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe are looking at how the wind moving that mass of dry air to another location can trigger a new drought. It becomes a bit like a wildfire.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProf Diego Miralles, DRY-2-DRY\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWhatever the cause of drought, it affects general ecosystem dynamics, including availability of drinking water for the population. It also has serious implications for biodiversity, as plants must be able to photosynthesise with less water in the soil as well as cope with an atmosphere that evaporates more water thanks to higher temperatures.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDrought often leads to desertification, where the land is so arid it becomes infertile and loses biological productivity. This has catastrophic consequences on societies and ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA vicious circle\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the case of a drought, the evaporation cycle becomes a vicious circle. Since evaporation is lower, there\u2019s less likelihood of condensing water in the atmosphere and triggering rainfall. With a dry atmosphere, there is less water to moisturise the soil. Furthermore, the soil tends to dry out in spring because it\u2019s already warmer than before.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThen, plants start to grow and consume the water earlier in the year. The summer commences with drier soil and there is no way to buffer the temperature by evaporating water.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is known to happen locally,\u2019 said Miralles, \u2018But we are looking at how the wind moving that mass of dry air to another location can trigger a new drought. It becomes a bit like a wildfire.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe impact of rising global temperatures means, not only are there heat waves and more droughts but they tend to occur at the same time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are two ways to improve the situation - to adapt and to mitigate. \u2018Land cover change (with vegetation for example) as an adaptation measure can help us resist heat waves, but we must make sure that this is not our plan A,\u2019 said Miralles. \u2018Plan A should be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about Prof Miralles\u0027 analysis of drought, follow the link to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dry2dry.org\/\u0022\u003Ethe Dry2Dry homepage\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeserts\u2019 guy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EProf Fernando Maestre, professor of Ecology at the University of Alicante, began his research in Spain in 2005. The project \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/647038\u0022\u003EBIODESERT\u003C\/a\u003E carried out the first global field survey to evaluate how changes in climate and land use, such as grazing pressure, affect drylands ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn order to survey such a vast phenomenon, collaborative work is key. The \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biodesert.maestrelab.com\/\u0022\u003EBIODESERT project is now global\u003C\/a\u003E and includes scientists and ecosystems from 21 countries on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EUntil a few years ago, nobody could imagine the important role of biodiversity in global drylands.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProf Fernando Maestre, BIODESERT\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I asked all the research teams to do everything exactly as we had already done it in Spain, because using different methods would have meant we wouldn\u2019t have been able to compare the results from the various areas surveyed across the world,\u2019 said Maestre. \u2018Our approach in Spain had proved its worth, now we had to test if it could function in a different environment. And it did!\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the shifting sands of time, the problem of land degradation in arid areas and drylands has spread since the first UN Plan of Action to Combat Desertification was adopted in 1977. There are serious threats to food security, biodiversity and the world economy as more and more territory succumbs to desertification.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers observed that plant and microbial diversity plays a key role in maintaining the capacity of drylands to provide essential ecosystem services linked to soil fertility and the production of plant biomass. These ecosystem services are fundamental for supporting the livelihood of more than one billion people globally.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThey also reported that increases in aridity promote abrupt changes on the structure and functioning of drylands. This culminates with a shift to low-cover (sparse vegetation) ecosystems that are nutrient- and species-poor at high aridity values.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/topics\/desertification-land-degradation-and-drought\u0022\u003Ecall for sustainable land management\u003C\/a\u003E and increased co-operation \u201con desertification, dust storms, land degradation and drought\u201d to promote resilience and avoid disaster.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Until a few years ago, nobody could imagine the important role of biodiversity in global drylands, nor the presence of multiple ecosystem thresholds in response to increases in aridity.\u2019 These discoveries improve the understanding of how drylands are changing in response to climate change, now and in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarly warnings \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEventually, these insights may be used to help design effective action to stem desertification across drylands worldwide. The JRC\u2019s new edition of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wad.jrc.ec.europa.eu\/\u0022\u003EWorld Atlas of Desertification\u003C\/a\u003E specifically states that \u201cland degradation is considered to be a global problem of human dominance\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBIODESERT is now testing the suitability of multiple early warning indicators. Results suggest that the characteristics of dryland vegetation may be used to flag ecosystem degradation across global drylands. They also plan to expand the research programme to start exploring long-term changes in the structure and functioning of drylands, by again surveying the original field sites they surveyed over 15 years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Ch3\u003EWatch the video\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\u0022accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 height=\u0022315\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/europa.eu\/webtools\/crs\/iframe\/?oriurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FsrmmyfSgZs8\u0022 title=\u0022YouTube video player\u0022 width=\u0022560\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETo learn more, about World Day to Combat Drought and Desertification on 17 June 2022, follow the link to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/observances\/desertification-day\u0022\u003EUN World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought homepage.\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe EU Mission \u0027A Soil Deal for Europe\u0027 is leading the transition towards healthy soils by 2030 by establishing 100 living labs and lighthouses. Fighting desertification and restoring soils is one of its main aims. Follow the link to learn more about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/research-and-innovation\/funding\/funding-opportunities\/funding-programmes-and-open-calls\/horizon-europe\/eu-missions-horizon-europe\/soil-health-and-food_en\u0022\u003EA Soil Deal for Europe\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\n\u003Ch5\u003EResearch in this article was funded via the EU\u0027s European Research Council. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C!--5--\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-bg-bluelightest tw-p-12 tw-my-12 tw--mx-16\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3 class=\u0022tw-font-sans tw-font-bold tw-text-blue tw-uppercase tw-text-lg tw-mb-8\u0022\u003EDrought in Europe\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-inline-block tw-w-1\/6 tw-h-1 tw-bg-blue tw-mb-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESide-by-side, the Bravura Reservoir in southern Portugal is pictured five years ago and today. This image from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 Earth Observation satellite shows the effects of drought on water levels in a reservoir in images from 14 June 2017 and 8 June 2022.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrought has reduced the Bravura Reservoir to 15% of its normal capacity. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ipma.pt\/pt\/media\/noticias\/news.detail.jsp?f=\/pt\/media\/noticias\/textos\/Boletim_climatologico_maio.html\u0022\u003Ethe Portuguese meteorological institute IPMA\u003C\/a\u003E, 97% of the Portuguese territory is affected by \u201csevere drought\u201d conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECopernicus Emergency Management Service provides data on drought, soil moisture and early warnings for Europe and the world. Follow the link to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/edo.jrc.ec.europa.eu\/edov2\/php\/index.php?id=1111\u0022\u003EEDO \u2013 the European Drought Observatory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo see more images of drought conditions from Europe and around the world, follow the link to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.copernicus.eu\/en\/media\/image-day-gallery\/severe-drought-portugal\u0022\u003Ethe Copernicus website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/20220614_DroughtPortugal_1.jpg\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022867cd692-66e9-46d1-be2e-d4fc94b46928\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 alt=\u0022European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 (2022)\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u00a9 European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 (2022)\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-rckeg6jv-f9k0uq3rnx-tk1tpbtwkh96-o2p3rkm6tw\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-rCkEg6JV_f9K0uq3Rnx_tk1tpBtwKh96_o2p3rkm6tw\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]