The Crisis in Oases: Research on Ecological Security and Sustainable Development in Arid Regions

Abstract

Arid areas cover approximately 41% of Earth's land surface and support more than 38% of the global population. As an important part of drylands, oases are the main carriers of human production, socioeconomic activity, and the ecological environment. Oases typically sustain nearly all of an arid region's human population and produce nearly 95% of its gross domestic product. The ongoing intensification of global warming and human activities has resulted in water stress and water-related environmental problems in arid areas, along with land degradation and desertification. The risk of water shortage and natural disasters in these regions has also increased. The solution to mitigate these environmental issues and achieve ecological security and sustainable socioeconomic development is to accelerate the modernization of oasis ecological agriculture. This can be accomplished by coordinating the contradictions between agricultural, industrial, and domestic water use and ecological water use in arid areas, thereby improving the level of management in oases and strengthening their ability to cope with climate change.