Oases are geographic areas that constitute important habitats and water sources for arid regions.. For centuries, these green bags have sustained communities, fueled commerce, and sparked the imagination.
They are important sources of water for countless forms of life in the world’s arid lands, supporting much of the productivity and life in the deserts. Their existence depends mainly on having a reliable source of drinking water.
Currently, there are oases in 37 countries, 77% of which are in Asia and 13% in Australia.
Despite covering only a small fraction, around 1.5% of our planet’s land surface, oases play a disproportionately important role. They provide essential resources and They support around 10% of the world’s populationoffering salvation in dry and hostile environments.
However, the existence of many of these magical places is being threatened by the consequences of climate change and anthropogenic activities.
Changes in land use and water availability
A new study published in the journal Earth’s Future shows how these areas have been expanded or contracted over the last 25 yearsas water availability patterns have changed and desertification has encroached on these wet refuges.
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The group of researchers aimed understand the global distribution of oases and their dynamic changes, and understand how they respond to a changing environment. This work highlights the importance of oases for achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and promote sustainable development in arid areas.
Dong Wei Gui, study coordinator and geoscientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The study was based on the observation of land occupation data from the European Space Agency over the last 25 years and the analysis of its changes. Changes in vegetation were evidentwhich indicate changes in the use and occupation of the land and also in the health of these systems, influenced both by human activity and climate change.
Net growth supported by artificialization projects in Asia
The study concluded that oases around the world they had a net growth of 86,500 square kilometers in surface area between 1995 and 2020supported by an increase of 220,149 square kilometers, mainly due to intentional projects of oasis expansion on the Asian continent.
While this may seem like a positive development, there is a crucial caveat. Most of this expansion is not a natural phenomenonbut the result of deliberate human intervention.
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The increase was due to the intentional conversion of desert lands into oases, through the drainage and pumping of water from underground aquifers, which support the creation of pastures and agricultural areas. This was concentrated in China, where management efforts contributed more than 60% of the growth.
Contrary to human efforts to expand oases, desertification represents a serious threat to oases. Globally, researchers found that There has been a loss of more than 134,000 square kilometers of surface in the last 25 yearss. They estimate that the changes in the oases have directly affected about 34 million people around the world.
Long-term (un)sustainability
The conclusions highlight that the increase was due to an artificial expansion of these systems, which does not seem sustainable in the near futuresuggesting the importance of the risk that climate change and anthropogenic stress factors represent for these humid sanctuaries.
It also highlights the delicate and vulnerable nature of these ecosystems and raises serious questions about whether this artificial expansion is simply a short term solution with potentially devastating long-term consequences.
These results also serve as a warning to efficient management and conservation of water resourcesfor promote sustainable development of arid regions and the correct management of the use and occupation of the landespecially in a period of climate liberalization.
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Many artificial oases depend on unsustainable water practices. This includes exploiting underground water sources that sell out quickly or divert water from ecosystems who depend on these rivers or lakes for their own survival.
This dependence on the unsustainable use of water casts a long shadow over the future of these oases. As water resources decline and ecosystems alter, artificial expansion will become increasingly difficult to maintain.
News reference:
Cui, B., Gui, D., Liu, Q. (2024). Distribution and Growth Drivers of Oases at a Global Scale. Earth’s Future. Volume 12, Issue 4.
