The Rapid Acceleration of Soil Degradation and Desertification

by Daniel Brouse
March 27, 2025

Climate change is accelerating soil degradation at an alarming rate, pushing once-productive land toward desertification much faster than historical trends. While natural desertification can take centuries, human-induced climate change and land mismanagement are speeding up the process, with significant consequences.

What makes soil so crucial to addressing the climate crisis is its unique role in these interactions — soil is alive. Unlike the atmosphere or oceans, which are primarily composed of inorganic matter and operate as passive systems, soil is a living, dynamic medium that supports a vast array of organisms, from microbes to plant roots. These organisms play a central role in processes like carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and water retention, all of which directly influence climate stability. Soil offers the most adaptable and interactive mechanisms for slowing or preventing a wide range of climate feedback loops.

Key Indicators of Acceleration

1. Rising Global Temperatures

   • Higher temperatures increase evaporation, drying out soil and reducing its ability to sustain plant life.

   • Extreme heat waves, which have doubled in frequency since the 1980s, weaken soil structure and make it more prone to erosion.

2. More Intense and Erratic Rainfall

   • Heavier rainfall leads to flash floods that wash away topsoil before it can absorb moisture.

   • Longer dry spells between storms cause soil to become crusted and less able to retain water.

3. Expanding Drylands & Desertification

   • The UN estimates that over 100 million hectares of fertile land turn into desert each decade—an area about the size of Egypt.

   • Regions such as the Sahel in Africa, the American Southwest, and parts of China are experiencing rapid desertification, with productive land vanishing within decades rather than centuries.

4. Soil Carbon Loss & Microbial Death

   • Soil degradation has already released about 135 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere since the start of industrial agriculture.

   • Warming soils kill microbial life that is essential for soil regeneration, further accelerating the transition to barren land.

5. Global Agricultural Impact

   • The FAO estimates that 90% of the world’s topsoil could be degraded by 2050 if current trends continue.

   • Each year, about 24 billion tons of fertile soil are lost due to erosion, much of it linked to climate change-driven weather extremes.

The Bottom Line

Climate change is turning living soil into dead dust in a matter of decades instead of centuries. Without urgent intervention—such as regenerative agriculture, reforestation, and improved water management—desertification could push billions of people into food insecurity and climate-driven migration within this century.

More Resources

Soil Degradation and Desertification

The Decline of Penn’s Sylvania: Trees and Temperate Zones

The Album ‘Wood You Save the Trees?’ by The Beatless Sense Mongers

Create a sustainable and climate-resilient environment in and around your home and prevent soil degradation.