Desertification affects one-sixth of the world's population.
An estimated 40 percent of people in Africa, South America, and Asia live in drylands, according to the press release. Desertification is the process of arable land changing into unproductive soil, or desert. It is caused by land mismanagement and climate change. Dryland is especially vulnerable to this process. Global warming could increase significantly the amount of land that is desertified.