RECENT CLIMATIC-CHANGE IN THE WORLDS DRYLANDS

Precipitation and temperature trends in nine dryland regions are analy sed for the period 1900 to 1994. No widespread desiccation in dryland climates is found, the African Sahel being the only region to demonstr ate a significant drying trend. All dryland regions have warmed, howev er, with the majority of the warming probably being unrelated to regio nal dryland effects. This warming may have contributed to a worsening of the P/PE ratio in many of these dryland regions. Three African dryl and regions are alone in showing a significant negative correlation be tween precipitation and temperature, contrasting with the relationship for global land areas of warmer years/decades being also wetter years /decades. The relative lack of warming in the Sahel is noted and incre ased atmospheric dust resulting from the increased desiccation of the region is suggested as a possible explanation.