Aridification is the Latest Climate Risk

I just read a very interesting article from Environmental Leader that warns about yet another climate change risk – aridification.  As I hadn’t heard this term before, I was intrigued.  Let’s take a deep look into this new climate risk.

What the Heck is Aridification?

First coined in 2001, aridification refers to the gradual transformation of a wet area to a dry one – or a semi-dry area to a very dry area – and global warming is the primary root cause.  An area experiencing aridification is more likely to experience forest fires, drought, a decline in drinking water quality and quantity, air quality degradation from dry and blowing dirt, and increased agricultural challenges leading to food shortages.  In aggregate these issues will ultimately force people to change their water consumption habits, and will likely have unknown consequences to the global economy. 

Although studies predict that areas most at risk are located in the Mediterranean, South Africa, Australia, Mexico and Brazil, some U.S. states including Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona are already seeing signs of aridification.  Click here to learn more about the specific impact on these states. 

Experts believe that usage of the word “drought” is no longer applicable in areas experiencing aridification, as the former is a temporary condition whereas the latter is more of a permanent condition.  And therein lies the big problem here – the permanency of the issue.  Although it seems possible that the negative impact of climate change could be reversed eventually, this is not something that utility companies can count on.

So, what does this imply in terms of emergency preparedness?  Simply put, plan now for aridification.  Make sure that your emergency plans and protocols accommodate extremely dry conditions, and invest in tools, technologies and personal protective equipment (PPE) that can help mitigate the impact of unreasonably dry conditions.