Global drylands and climatic resource poverty

The Climatic Resource Index (CRI) is an indicator of the climatic potential for biomass production. It is based on a combination of the annual growing-degree-days above 0°C and the annual aridity index, rescaled to values between 0 and 100. The index takes into consideration whether an area is irrigated or not, and to what extent. The Climatic Resource Poverty Index, shown in this map, is calculated as 100-CRI.

Global drylands and topographic resource poverty

Landscapes that are strongly dissected, i.e. with high elevation differences, contain little land with agricultural value. Where such land exists, it is mostly located in narrow, often disconnected and poorly accessible valleys, On the other hand, flat landforms (plains and plateaux) in general have little land with unsuitable topography. Of course, even in flat areas unsuitable soils or even rock outcrops may occur, but these can be identified from the soil maps and will result in a high Soil Resource Poverty Index . Given the strict separation between topographic and soil resources, the methodology does not allow double counting.

Global drylands and soil resource poverty

The Soil Resource Poverty Index is the percentage of each grid cell occupied by problem soils. Problem soils include the following categories: saline soils, soils with high sodium content, shallow soils, sandy soils, soils with very poor profile development, soils with severe soil structural and/or textural limitations, soils with severe acidity, infertility or Al-toxicity problems, wetland soils, acid sulphate soils.

Global drylands and agriculture resource poverty

Agricultural resource poverty is a structural component of environmental poverty, which is principally determined by climatic, topographic and soil constraints, as well as lack of water resources for irrigation, where needed. This global map shows a quantified estimate of the constraints to agriculture as imposed by the biophysical environment, using an index approach, scaled to a range 0-100, with 100 expressing the highest degree of resource poverty. The map has been compiled as a synthesis of individual thematic resource poverty maps (climate, topography, soils and irrigation water resources).