Oases in Global Drylands Undergoing Critical Challenges for Sustainable Development
2024-07-09
As an important part of drylands, oases are instrumental in the growth of human settlements, and support socioeconomic development. However, the rapid expansion of oases faces key constraints, such as water scarcity, increased droughts, and soil salinization.
In a research review published in Annual Review of Environment and Resources, researchers led by Prof. CHEN Yaning from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, examined the critical issues of oasis evolution in arid regions.
The researchers comprehensively summarized recent research on the characteristics of oasis evolution, including the driving forces behind their evolution, spatiotemporal patterns, and the evolutionary processes.
In addition, they identified the key challenges to sustainable oasis development, including global warming, intensified competition for water, land degradation, and increased risk of natural disasters.
They also proposed countermeasures to achieve sustainable oasis development, including building protection forests at the edge of oases, developing modernized agriculture, adopting advanced technologies to realize rational and efficient use of water resources, and strengthening the capacity to mitigate disaster risks.
"We should take an interdisciplinary and integrated approach and put a focus on water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus to achieve sustainable oasis development," said Prof. CHEN Yaning, first author of the study.
Moreover, the researchers emphasized that the desert-oasis transition zone plays a vital role for the coexistence of desert ecosystems and oasis ecosystems, and thus needs proper management.
Article link: https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-environ-111522-105932
Conceptual map of water resource utilization in oases (Image by XIEG)
Contact
LONG Huaping
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography
E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn