Why in news?
A report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Centre identified severe and worsening droughts across many regions from 2023 to mid‑2025. The study warned that climate change, El Niño conditions and unsustainable land use were pushing food and water systems to their limits.
Background and global context
- Recurring droughts: Drought is a slow‑onset disaster that occurs when rainfall and soil moisture fall below normal levels for months or years. It reduces crop yields, dries up rivers and forces people to migrate. The 2023–2025 period witnessed some of the most intense droughts in decades.
- Affected regions:
- Africa: Eastern Africa experienced back‑to‑back failed rainy seasons, causing crop failures in the Horn of Africa and triggering hunger emergencies in Ethiopia and Somalia. Southern Africa also faced erratic rains, with Zimbabwe and Zambia declaring drought disasters.
- Mediterranean and West Asia: Southern European countries and North African nations endured prolonged heatwaves and low rainfall. Spain, Portugal and Morocco saw reservoirs drop to historic lows, while Tunisia rationed tap water.
- Latin America: In the Amazon basin, forests dried out and fires increased, while in Argentina and Uruguay low river levels threatened hydropower and agriculture. The Caribbean experienced one of its worst droughts, squeezing water supplies for tourism and farming.
- Asia: Parts of India, China and Pakistan endured scorching temperatures and deficient monsoons. Northern China’s winter wheat crop was threatened, and South‑East Asia’s Mekong basin faced saltwater intrusion due to low river flows.
- Drivers of drought: The report linked worsening droughts to global warming, the 2023–24 El Niño pattern (which alters global rainfall), deforestation, over‑grazing, and excessive groundwater extraction.
Impacts on people and ecosystems
- Food insecurity: Crop failures and livestock deaths left millions needing emergency aid. In Africa alone, more than 50 million people required assistance during the period.
- Energy crisis: Low water levels reduced hydropower generation in South America and Asia, increasing electricity shortages.
- Wildlife loss: Dried wetlands and shrinking rivers threatened fish stocks, migratory birds and iconic species such as hippopotamuses and elephants.
- Social unrest: Water scarcity led to protests in places like Chile and Iran. Rural‑urban migration increased as farmers abandoned drought‑stricken fields.
Recommendations
- Early warning systems: Countries should invest in drought monitoring, seasonal forecasts and community‑based alert systems to prepare farmers and cities before rainfall deficits become crises.
- Nature‑based solutions: Restoring degraded forests, adopting agro‑forestry and protecting wetlands can improve soil moisture and groundwater recharge.
- Water stewardship: Regulate groundwater extraction, promote rainwater harvesting and encourage drip irrigation to use water more efficiently.
- Social protection: Drought‑affected households need cash transfers, crop insurance and employment programs to prevent poverty and hunger.