More than 2.3 billion people around the world now live in regions that are becoming permanently drier due to climate change and unsustainable land use. This process, called aridification, is different from droughts—it doesn’t come and go. It is a long-term shift that can make farming harder, reduce water availability, and force people to migrate.

In this presentation, I share new global research findings that show how widespread aridification has become, what regions are most at risk in the future, and how this change is affecting people, ecosystems, and food production. I also explore what can be done about it.

The presentation highlights five key ways to improve how we respond: better coordination between government sectors, support for traditional and Indigenous knowledge, stronger climate finance, equal rights to land and water for women, and better access to data and tools for local planning. These actions can help communities prepare for and adapt to a future where dry conditions are the new normal.

This work connects global science with local solutions and helps ensure that policies are based on the best available knowledge while also being fair and inclusive.