Accelerated Atmospheric Drying in Neighboring Rural Areas Across China Associated With Urban Warming

Abstract Neighboring rural areas (i.e., rural zones surrounding cities) experience strong urban–rural interactions and provide critical ecosystem services, yet their responses to atmospheric drying remain poorly understood. Here, we quantify urban impacts on vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in neighboring rural areas across China by comparing station observations from neighboring rural stations (NRS) and remote rural stations (RRS, stations located in rural regions far from urban influence). During 1985–2019, 69% of cities exhibited faster VPD growth in their NRS than in their RRS, with a mean drying rate 27.5% higher than that of RRS. This disparity was more pronounced in summer, particularly within urban clusters. The NRS‐RRS temperature difference dominated VPD variations, likely attributable to the urban‐rural temperature gradient, whereby temperatures gradually decline outward from urban cores. These results reveal potential urban influence on rural atmospheric drying, highlighting ecosystem risks in neighboring rural areas and targeted adaptation needs in sustainable urban development.