The Great Indian Desert is turning green
Researchers say that over the past two decades, more people have been living in the desert, and the landscape has changed, turning it into agriculture and urbanization. This is one reason why the desert is turning greener. But another reason is climate change, which is causing increased seasonal rainfall in the region.
The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, covers 77,000 square miles (200,000 square kilometers) in northwestern India and southeastern Pakistan.
While many of the world’s deserts are facing increasing drought, the Thar Desert has become a center of urban and agricultural growth. It is now the world’s most populous desert, with more than 16 million inhabitants.
Bimal Mishra, a civil engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, told Live Science that the greater availability of water and energy has allowed agriculture and urban areas to expand, resulting in a notable rise in crop production. “There is no other desert in the world that has seen such a dramatic increase in urbanization, agriculture, and rainfall in recent years.”
The new study, published April 18 in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability, analyzed satellite data from 2001 to 2023. Bimal and his team discovered that the desert has become 38% greener, as shown by satellite images revealing more vegetation.
Researchers examined historical records of population growth, irrigation infrastructure, and climate models to understand why the greening in the Thar Desert is occurring.
The study revealed that the Thar Desert is becoming greener mainly because of a 64% increase in summer monsoon rainfall. The study authors suggest that developing irrigation infrastructure could help the region access groundwater during dry seasons, supporting a growing population. Warming temperatures may endanger the 16 million people in the desert, while excessive groundwater use for irrigation could deplete this vital resource.
Future development in the Thar Desert should focus on sustainable water management, drought-resistant crops, adapting to rising temperatures, and using renewable energy, researchers stated.
According to the study, increased seasonal rainfall could lead to more flooding. Climate models suggest that increased rainfall may lead to extreme weather events that could harm homes and buildings in the desert. However, if increased rainfall can be controlled and managed, the people and agriculture of the region can also prosper.
A separate study predicts that more desert areas will become greener by the end of the 21st century.
This change will increase food security in the region, but could threaten the local biodiversity of species adapted to deserts. Scientists warn that the need to preserve these aspects of the desert environment must be considered as development continues.
