Drought Hazard to Dryland Farming in Arid Region

Rattan Lal*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Drylands include hyper-arid regions with aridity index (AI) of <0.05, arid regions with AI of 0.05-0.20, semi-arid regions with AI of 0.20-0.50, and dry sub-humid regions with AI of 0.5-0.65. However, drought and water scarcity have affected and will adversely affect food production in dryland farming. Among biomes which are vulnerable to global warming, arid regions are most sensitive to anthropogenic climate change. Chen et al. also reported that the northwest arid regions of China have experienced a sharp increase in both temperature and precipitation since the 1960s. Climate change in semi-arid regions may also aggravate the related extreme events including drought and heat wave. Soil degradation, caused by expansion of global drylands, may also aggravate intensity and severity of drought which affect crop growth and yield. Resource-poor and marginalized small land holder farmers are most vulnerable to water scarcity in arid regions.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSoil and Drought
Subtitle of host publicationBasic Processes
PublisherCRC Press
Pages1-10
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9781000960044
ISBN (Print)9781032286747
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2024
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 selection and editorial matter, Rattan Lal; individual chapters, the contributors.

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