Droughts are becoming more severe and widespread across the globe. But it's not just changing rainfall patterns that are to blame. The atmosphere is also getting thirstier.

In a new study published in Nature , my colleagues and I show that this rising "atmospheric thirst" – also known as atmospheric evaporative demand (AED) – is responsible for about 40% of the increase in drought severity over the last four decades (1981-2022).

Imagine rainfall as income and AED as spending. Even if your income (rainfall) stays the same, your balance goes into deficit if your spending (AED) increases. That's exactly what's happening with drought: the atmosphere is demanding more water than the land can afford to lose.

As the planet warms, this demand grows – drawing more moisture from soils, rivers

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