Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41844610›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Global record-shattering breadbasket droughts emerge from moderately extreme regional events.

Ji Li, Jakob Zscheischler, Emanuele Bevacqua

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Ji LiDepartment of Compound Environmental Risks, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany. j.li@ufz.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0106-0412
Jakob ZscheischlerDepartment of Compound Environmental Risks, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6045-1629
Emanuele BevacquaDepartment of Compound Environmental Risks, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany. emanuele.bevacqua@ufz.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0472-5183

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) 524780515Helmholtz Association VH-NG-1537
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Simultaneous droughts across multiple maize-producing regions can strike record-shattering portions of the global maize agricultural area, threatening global food security as the system is poorly adapted to large shocks. Yet the future probability of such global droughts remains unknown. Here, we close this gap by analyzing surface soil moisture data from large ensemble climate models under future emission scenarios. During 2026-2099, the chance of at least one such event is 52% (32-80%, range across models) under an intermediate emission scenario and 60% (32-100%) under high emissions, about seven to eleven times higher than expected if there were no long-term trends in soil moisture. These elevated probabilities are primarily driven by long-term drying in Brazil, Europe, and the USA. Interestingly, global record-shattering droughts do not emerge from simultaneous regional record-shattering events, but they mostly occur when several regions simultaneously face moderately extreme droughts relative to the new climate. These results demonstrate a high potential for an upcoming global record-shattering drought in crop-producing areas, an under-recognized risk for food security.

Identifiers

PMID41844610
PMCPMC13000154

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.