Energy-mediated feedbacks of vegetation greening enhance precipitation efficiency and sustain water yield in global semi-arid regions
Baoqing Zhang
Nature Water, Published online: 17 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s44221-026-00631-y Vegetation greening is traditionally thought to increase evapotranspiration and reduce streamflow, posing a challenge for balancing ecosystem restoration with water supply. This study reveals that greening can enhance both evapotranspiration and streamflow, particularly in semi-arid regions through albedo-driven, energy-mediated increases in the efficiency with which atmospheric moisture is converted into precipitation