Which regions are especially vulnerable to desertification?

Desertification is a critical environmental challenge that threatens all dryland ecosystems, including grasslands, scrublands, and existing deserts. These regions are particularly vulnerable because they are characterized by sparse or variable rainfall, making them highly sensitive to both climatic shifts—such as extended droughts—and unsustainable human land-management practices.123

The regions currently at the greatest risk of desertification include:

• Africa: This continent is the most affected, with the Sahel region south of the Sahara being particularly vulnerable, alongside parts of eastern, southern, and northwestern Africa.43
• Asia: Large areas of south-central Asia are at risk, with regions like China showing long histories of land degradation.3
• North America: Significant portions of central North America are considered vulnerable, with some models predicting increased drought risk for grasslands in the western part of the continent.53
• Australia: Large areas of the continent are also identified as being at risk of desertification.3

In these areas, the loss of biological productivity is often exacerbated by activities such as overgrazing, deforestation, and unsustainable irrigation.1