Africa is increasingly drier: Economic research estimates reduction in income due to desertification

Approximately 52 million square kilometers of the earth surface is made by arid zones, defined as areas where the total amount of rainfall is balanced by evaporation from the surface and natural transpiration of plants. The "right balance" between atmospheric precipitation and water evaporation is essential for soil productivity, a balance that climate change is constantly modifying, with dramatic consequences on habitability and food availability in many areas of the globe.