Scientists claim that the current Western drought, exacerbated by climate change, is the most severe in 1,200 years.

• The severe drought in the American West has made it the driest region in at least 1,200 years, and scientists predict that drought conditions will continue for years, according to a new report.
• In 2020, the worst wildfire season on record burned more than 10 million acres, while water levels at the two largest reservoirs in the country, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at their lowest levels ever recorded.
• Human-caused climate change is estimated to have contributed to 42% of the drought's severity.

The current drought in the American West is the driest in at least 1,200 years, and scientists have attributed it to human-caused climate change, they said on Monday.

Scientists examined droughts in southwestern North America from the year 800 to the present and discovered that the current conditions are more severe than the megadrought that occurred in the late 1500s.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines a megadrought as a prolonged and severe drought lasting at least two decades. Researchers warned that the conditions will likely continue through 2022 and may persist for years.

The 2000s drought, which had been declining since 2017 and 2019, intensified in 2020-2021, demonstrating its strength, according to A. Park Williams, a climate scientist at UCLA.

Williams, who led the analysis using tree-ring data, stated that there is no evidence that the 2000s drought is starting to ease up.

Researchers found that although the U.S. West would still be in drought even with climate change, 42% of its severity can be linked to higher temperatures caused by human activities, such as greenhouse gas emissions trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Nearly 95% of the Colorado River region is currently experiencing drought conditions, resulting in more intense wildfires and declining water supplies.

The two largest reservoirs in the country, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have recorded their lowest water levels ever, while the 2020 wildfire season in the U.S. burned over 10 million acres, making it the worst on record.

Officials ordered water cuts for the Colorado River Basin, impacting over 40 million people in the West.

Gov. Gavin Newsom requested Californians to reduce their household water usage by 15% last year during record-breaking temperatures. Recently, water officials warned that the state may face its third consecutive dry year due to a severe shortage of snowfall this season.