Climate change and droughts have gone hand in hand for quite some time now, as climate change causes more droughts that affect the land significantly. But what most people may not know is that drought is actually exacerbating climate change.

According to Dr. Nathalie Fenner and Professor Chris Freeman of Bangor University, drought causes an increase in the rate of release of carbon dioxide for as long as a decade. This is because drought, as a result of climate change, dries out peat, or accumulated partially decayed vegetation, which then releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the air that was stored in them.

Peat normally contains the CO2 by its sheer wetness, essentially locking centuries' worth of the greenhouse gas. This release of CO2 now is observed to be continuous, and may even be increased when the peat is again wetted with rain.

Dr. Fenner pointed out that what was once perceived as a only a spike in the rate of carbon loss during drying out now appears to be far more prolonged - with a potential peak after the initial drought period is over.

The researchers added that not only the released CO2 poses danger for the environment, but also the dissolved organic carbon in the water that can contaminate potable water. This contamination would mean larger costs for water suppliers as it can interfere with their treatment processes.

Another effect of the loss of carbon is the severe degradation of the peatland itself, which acts as a natural sponge for heavy rainfall, resulting in an increased frequency of lowland flooding.

Australia is one of the regions in the world known to suffer from droughts. Aside from the researchers' findings of peatlands being affected, droughts majorly affect the agricultural sector in the continent itself, reported the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology.

In addition to damages in agriculture, which can affect the economy, drought also brings with it other effects such as soil erosion, toxic algae outbreaks, and plants and animal endangerment.