Deserts threatened by global warming

Namibia desert

Nobody would say that deserts could be threatened, right? But the truth is that they are a place much more fragile than we can ever imagine. Plants, animals and the estimated 500 million people who live in these territories have adapted to the climate of the desert.

But if the temperatures keep rising, their lives will be in serious danger.

Adrar

According to a UN report for the environment (UNEP), during the period from 1976 to 2000, the average temperature of deserts has risen between 0 and two degrees centigrade, unlike the 0 degrees it has risen in the rest of the planet. The greenhouse effects are causing more intense and prolonged droughts, and therefore the already low rainfall is becoming less and less visible.

The most affected deserts are the Kalahari in Africa, and the Atacama in Chile. In both you can see how life tries to survive. But they are not the only ones affected. Declining water is causing rivers to dry up, like the Nile in Egypt, or the Colorado in the United States. The UNEP warns that if the greenhouse gas emissions, the water supply will be severely affected, putting the health of the inhabitants of the deserts, as well as that of their crops and animals at risk.

Arizona

If we continue to overexploit groundwater, create infrastructure, or places of military training, we can change the landscape completely. Despite everything, Kaveh Zahedi, deputy director of the World Conservation Center (UNEP), says that deserts may become the power plants of this century, in addition to serving as tourist attractions, or even to discover new drugs that can improve people's lives.


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