Solution:Dry conditions are caused by factors such as global atmospheric circulation, continentality, and the rain shadow effect. Under global atmospheric circulation, descending air pressure in tropical high-pressure belts (e.g., the Sahara and Thar) causes aridity. Similarly, under continentality, less moisture reaches regions farther from the ocean, leading to arid climates, such as Central Asia.
Under the rain shadow effect, rainfall decreases on windward mountain slopes, increasing aridity, such as in Ladakh, north of the Himalayas. Warm offshore currents, however, increase humidity rather than aridity, as they provide moisture to winds passing over the ocean surface.