The United Nations has expressed serious concerns about the global impact of drought. It has been reported that droughts around the world are becoming more frequent and prolonged, taking the largest toll on human lives among natural disasters. Between 1970 and 2019, weather, climate, and water hazards accounted for 50% of disasters and 45% of disaster-related deaths, with droughts responsible for 650,000 deaths.
Droughts have led to a loss of USD$124 billion from 1998 to 2017, a number that has risen 29% since 2000 and more than 2.3 billion people are currently facing water stress and almost 160 million children are exposed to severe and prolonged droughts. Persistent and unchecked human activities ranging from overconsumption and mismanagement of water, to deforestation and fossil fuel burning have worsened dry conditions, allowing droughts to occur more frequently and for longer periods.
Within the past 40 years, the percentage of vegetation affected by drought has more than doubled, threatening water availability and food security. If no action is taken, an estimated 700 million people will be at risk of being displaced by drought by 2030, and one in four children will live in areas with extreme water shortages by 2040. By the mid-century, more than 75% of the world’s population will be affected by droughts.The UN has called for land restoration and sustainable agricultural management to combat the increasing threat of drought.
