Slowing climate change could reverse drying in the subtropics

As the planet warms, subtropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere, including parts of southern Australia and southern Africa, are drying. These trends include major drought events such as Cape Town’s “Day Zero” in 2018.

Tree trunks, which were submersed when the dam was
full, stand a the critically low dam in South Africa in 2018.

Climate projections suggest this subtropical drying will continue throughout the 21st century. Further drying in these regions will place great stress on ecosystems, agriculture and urban water supplies.

Our new study, published today in Nature Climate Change, suggests the subtropical Southern Hemisphere drying trend may reverse, if global temperatures stabilise in a future world with zero net greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the piece from The Conversation -  “Slowing climate change could reverse drying in the subtropics.”