{"id":13763,"date":"2024-06-17T08:38:54","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T07:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/?p=13763"},"modified":"2024-06-17T08:38:56","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T07:38:56","slug":"dried-up-futures-drought-and-desertification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/06\/dried-up-futures-drought-and-desertification\/","title":{"rendered":"Dried up Futures: Drought and Desertification"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-light curved-bottom\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"853\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-13764\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-scaled.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-1024x341.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-768x256.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\"><h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-post-title\">Dried up Futures: Drought and Desertification<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2024-06-17T08:38:54+01:00\">17 June 2024<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"lead\">Drought and desertification are the worst environmental crises facing the world today. Our new report Dried Up Futures examines how these interconnected disasters are driven by population growth, and the urgent need to act now to save our future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.\u201d <\/p>\n<cite>Dame Jane Goodall, Population Matters Patron <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Our new report: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/resources\/dried-up-futures-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dried Up Futures: How population growth is driving drought, land degradation, and desertification<\/a><\/em>, examines how drought, land degradation, and desertification are driven by population growth and the urgent need to tackle these crises with a holistic <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/04\/what-is-population-health-environment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Population Health Environment (PHE)<\/a> approach that puts women and girls at the forefront of solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"908\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-simple-1024x908.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-simple-1024x908.png 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-simple-300x266.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-simple-768x681.png 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-simple.png 1151w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/ask-your-political-representatives-to-support-phe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Support our campaign to raise PHE up the agenda here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Interconnected Crises<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We live in a world where no other set of hazards claims more lives and causes more economic losses, than drought, land degradation, and desertification. All three of these environmental crises exist within a complex cycle, that shapes the lives of billions of people worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/04\/the-world-of-population-projections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Since 1970, the global human population has increased from 3.7 billion to now over 8 billion in 2024.<\/a> Unsustainable demand, due to population growth and rising per capita consumption, has strained the earth\u2019s water and land systems, and accelerated drought and land degradation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/04\/the-world-of-population-projections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Current UN projections are for a population of 10.4 billion in 2100, with a 95% certainty range of 8.9 \u2013 12.4 billion.<\/a> All these extra billions of people will require more land, more food, and more water, all natural resources at risk of scarcity in some areas due to drought and desertification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>Nothing in nature can survive unlimited growth. Nothing in nature exists independently. Everything is interconnected and we are starting to realize this only now. We are not separated from nature, but are an integral part of this fragile web that evolved over millennia<\/em>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<cite><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unccd.int\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-12\/Global%20drought%20snapshot%202023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 Global Drought Snapshot<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/CRACKED-EARTH-1024x458.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/CRACKED-EARTH-1024x458.png 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/CRACKED-EARTH-300x134.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/CRACKED-EARTH-768x344.png 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/CRACKED-EARTH.png 1321w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>DROUGHT &#8211; The Silent Crisis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike dramatic wildfires or floods, droughts don\u2019t dominate news coverage, instead they have been described as \u201cmisery in slow motion\u201d. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2023\/apr\/27\/human-driven-climate-crisis-fuelling-horn-of-africa-drought-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Horn of Africa has been devastated by drought since 2020, affecting 100 million people in the region.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The principal cause of drought is low rainfall over an extended period. Droughts are made worse by climate change, deforestation, urbanisation, and groundwater depletion, all driven by population growth and our unsustainable demand for resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This World Bank map identifies the areas at highest risk of drought, it overlays projected population growth with the future availability of water in 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"377\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/map-for-blog-drought.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/map-for-blog-drought.png 602w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/map-for-blog-drought-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It illustrates that the regions with the highest rates of population growth will be at the highest risk of drought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drought is one of the most expensive natural disasters. In the past 50 years, drought-related hazards have led to economic losses of over 70 billion USD in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Droughts devastate whole communities but disproportionately impact women and girls. In rural Africa, female infants born during severe droughts will grow up physically shorter, receive less education, and ultimately become less wealthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Ethiopia, rates of child marriage rose by 119 per cent in 2022 in areas worst impacted by drought. Child marriages violate girls\u2019 rights, placing them at higher risk of violence and exploitation. <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2023\/05\/menstruation-child-marriage-fertility-rates-the-linkages\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Child marriages also cause high fertility rates and population growth in low and middle-income countries.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1009\" height=\"729\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-61.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-61.png 1009w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-61-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-61-768x555.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1009px) 100vw, 1009px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/resources\/dried-up-futures-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dried Up Futures<\/a><\/em> emphasises that empowering women and girls is one of the most effective solutions to curb population growth and combat future droughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>LAND DEGRADATION \u2013 No Land, No Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Land is one of the most valuable resources upon which we depend for our food and our shelter. However, due to humanity\u2019s rapid expansion and cultivation of land, the resource upon which we depend is increasingly degraded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/family-farming\/detail\/en\/c\/1507023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The UN\u2019s Global Land Outlook 2022 suggests that 20-40 per cent of the earth\u2019s land is in a degraded condition,<\/a> with 100 million hectares of productive land lost annually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since agriculture began, land degradation has followed, and accelerated as agriculture has expanded and intensified to meet the rising demand of our growing population. Unsustainable agricultural practices: overgrazing, deforestation, artificial fertiliser and pesticides, causes land degradation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/the-facts-resources-consumption\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">It\u2019s been estimated we would need to scale up food production by 70 per cent (UN FAO) to meet future demand.<\/a> Whilst technological breakthroughs may improve agricultural efficiency with reduced environmental impacts, they would be limited by scale if continued population growth drives unsustainable demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1009\" height=\"729\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-59.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13784\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-59.png 1009w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-59-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-59-768x555.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1009px) 100vw, 1009px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/we-dont-buy-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Whilst disparity in resource consumption reflects global inequality,<\/a> with 282 million people experiencing high levels of food insecurity, whilst food waste and obesity present problems in the Global North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To address this inequality, we must focus on social and environmental justice, <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/consume-sustainably\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">through ending our overconsumption in the Global North<\/a> and curbing global population growth to reduce demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>DESERTIFICATION &#8211; Drylands to Deadlands&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Drylands are found in five of the world\u2019s continents and are home to over 3 billion people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People have lived on drylands for thousands of years, with indigenous knowledge passed down generations to ensure communities live in harmony with these ecosystems. However, in recent decades, climate change alongside rapid population growth has tipped the ecological balance, placing greater pressure on drylands, and triggered the process of desertification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2024\/04\/what-is-desertification-land-degradation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Desertification does not mean desert expansion, it\u2019s land degradation that occurs on drylands.<\/a> 46 out of the 54 African countries are vulnerable to desertification. In Asia, desertification has affected 38 out of 48 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While less than 10 per cent of drylands are undergoing desertification, these areas have experienced the most rapid population growth, the population having increased from approximately 172 million in 1950 to over 630 million today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rapid population growth in drylands has meant traditional pastoral techniques have been replaced by intensive agriculture to meet demand, which has resulted in overgrazing and soil erosion, causing desertification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1009\" height=\"729\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-57.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13785\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-57.png 1009w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-57-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Artboard-57-768x555.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1009px) 100vw, 1009px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Desertification syndrome is a term used to describe the negative cycle linking desertification and poverty. Wherein dryland populations apply unsustainable agricultural practices to meet demand, leading to desertification, crop failure, and food insecurity. Desertification ruins agricultural livelihoods and increases rates of poverty, subsequently limiting the capacity of the community to invest in more sustainable land management, continuing the cycle of desertification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In dryland areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, 41 and 12 per cent of the <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/the-facts-development\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">total populations live in extreme poverty.<\/a> Many of these communities lack access to safe, modern contraception, resulting in rapid population growth in these areas. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/srccl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The population in drylands is projected to increase twice as rapidly as non-dryland areas and is projected to reach 4 billion by 2050.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More people will place more pressure on the land, accelerating desertification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PHE projects that integrate choice-based family planning programs, alongside education on sustainable land management, can reduce local population pressure on drylands and prevent desertification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SOLUTIONS \u2013 Support PHE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To tackle interconnected issues such as drought, land degradation and desertification, it\u2019s important to utilise a holistic approach that can break down the vicious cycle wherein one crisis worsens the other. <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/04\/what-is-population-health-environment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Population Health Environment (PHE)<\/a> is a holistic approach, that improves access to safe, modern contraception in remote areas, alongside educating communities on how to sustainably manage natural resources, acting as an effective preventative approach to drought, land degradation, and desertification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-DIAGRAM-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-DIAGRAM-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-DIAGRAM-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-DIAGRAM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-DIAGRAM-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-DIAGRAM-1536x1536.png 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/PHE-DIAGRAM.png 1629w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Population Matters has a campaign directed at the UK government to announce funding for PHE projects. <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/ask-your-political-representatives-to-support-phe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">You can support our ask here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read the full <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/resources\/dried-up-futures-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><strong>Dried Up Futures<\/strong><\/em> <\/a>report here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-share\"><a class=\"fb-share\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2F%3Fp%3D13763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 32H48A48 48 0 0 0 0 80v352a48 48 0 0 0 48 48h137.25V327.69h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.27c-30.81 0-40.42 19.12-40.42 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V480H400a48 48 0 0 0 48-48V80a48 48 0 0 0-48-48z\"><\/path><\/svg> Share<\/div><\/a><a class=\"tw-share\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2F%3Fp%3D13763&amp;text=Dried%20Up%20Futures%3A%20Drought%20and%20Desertification\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M459.37 151.716c.325 4.548.325 9.097.325 13.645 0 138.72-105.583 298.558-298.558 298.558-59.452 0-114.68-17.219-161.137-47.106 8.447.974 16.568 1.299 25.34 1.299 49.055 0 94.213-16.568 130.274-44.832-46.132-.975-84.792-31.188-98.112-72.772 6.498.974 12.995 1.624 19.818 1.624 9.421 0 18.843-1.3 27.614-3.573-48.081-9.747-84.143-51.98-84.143-102.985v-1.299c13.969 7.797 30.214 12.67 47.431 13.319-28.264-18.843-46.781-51.005-46.781-87.391 0-19.492 5.197-37.36 14.294-52.954 51.655 63.675 129.3 105.258 216.365 109.807-1.624-7.797-2.599-15.918-2.599-24.04 0-57.828 46.782-104.934 104.934-104.934 30.213 0 57.502 12.67 76.67 33.137 23.715-4.548 46.456-13.32 66.599-25.34-7.798 24.366-24.366 44.833-46.132 57.827 21.117-2.273 41.584-8.122 60.426-16.243-14.292 20.791-32.161 39.308-52.628 54.253z\"><\/path><\/svg> Tweet<\/div><\/a><a class=\"li-share\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2F%3Fp%3D13763&amp;text=Dried%20Up%20Futures%3A%20Drought%20and%20Desertification\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg> Post<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-light-blue-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-grid grid grid-3\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/03\/global-resources-dwindling-as-demand-rises\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Global Resources Dwindling as Demand Rises<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/denis-agati-5KruT7JCFE0-unsplash-768x512.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-12184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/denis-agati-5KruT7JCFE0-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/denis-agati-5KruT7JCFE0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/denis-agati-5KruT7JCFE0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/denis-agati-5KruT7JCFE0-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/denis-agati-5KruT7JCFE0-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>In the last 50 years resource use has tripled, just as the world\u2019s population has grown from 3.6 billion people in 1970 to over 8 billion today.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/resources\/dried-up-futures-report\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Dried Up Futures Report<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"256\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-768x256.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-13764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-768x256.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-1024x341.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tucker-tangeman-9aAr_EFqYdc-unsplash-2-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Drought and desertification are the worst environmental crises facing the world today. Our report Dried Up Futures examines how these interconnected disasters are driven by population growth, and the urgent need to act now to save our future.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/04\/what-is-population-health-environment\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>What Is Population, Health, Environment?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-768x576.jpeg\" class=\"wp-image-12359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3.jpeg 1728w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Population Health Environment (PHE) is an integrated approach to environmental conservation, family planning, and sustainable development. Find out more about PHE and join our campaign. <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Drought and desertification are the worst environmental crises facing the world today. Our new report Dried Up Futures examines how these interconnected disasters are driven by population growth, and the urgent need to act now to save our future.","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":13764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,25],"tags":[11,14],"class_list":["post-13763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-campaign-news","tag-climate","tag-environment"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dried up Futures: Drought and Desertification - Population Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/06\/dried-up-futures-drought-and-desertification\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dried up Futures: Drought and Desertification - Population Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Drought and desertification are the worst environmental crises facing the world today. 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