A new study conducted by scientists from China and the US has found that urbanization worsens extreme droughts. The study reveals that nearly 40% of the world's cities are experiencing worsening drought conditions due to urbanization. The impact of urbanization on local drought has been under-researched, but the study shows that the severity of drought has worsened at around 36% of global city weather stations from 1980 to 2020. It is projected that more than half of the world's urban regions will face increasingly severe droughts by 2050. Larger cities and those with less green cover are particularly affected by this phenomenon.
The study highlights that urbanization causes warmer and drier environments, which suppress light rainfall and exacerbate extreme local drought conditions. The loss of vegetation in urban areas leads to more intense local atmospheric drought. However, the study also suggests that increasing urban vegetation can help mitigate drought caused by urban growth. The findings of this study provide theoretical support for disaster prevention and mitigation of urban drought, as well as sustainable urban development. [80f74144]