Sudden onset of drying is a rising problem, particularly acute in south America and Southern Africa.
Sudden onset of drying is a rising problem, particularly acute in south America and Southern Africa. But in high mountain regions of central Asia climate change has instead brought more moisture.
Sudden, severe dry spells known as flash droughts are rising in intensity around the world, with a notable exception in mountainous Central Asia, where flash drought extent is shrinking, according to new research. Heat and changes to precipitation patterns caused by a warming climate are driving these trends, the study found.
Flash droughts arrive suddenly, within weeks, hitting communities that are often not prepared and causing lasting impact. They are an emerging concern for water and food security. The new study is the first to apply a systematic, quantitative approach to the global incidence of flash drought, mapping hotspots and regions of rapid increases in recent decades.
Read more at American Geophysical Union
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