Droughts: a global crisis that hits the poorest

According to a new report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, drought constitutes a global crisis that risks becoming a ‘pandemic’, causing widespread starvation if countries do not take urgent action on water and land management.

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At least 1,5 billion people have been directly affected by drought this century, and the economic cost has been estimated at US$124 billion [about R1,76 trillion]. The true cost is likely to be many times higher, however, as estimates do not include much of the effect of droughts in developing countries.

According to ‘Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Special Report on Drought 2021’, most of the world will be living with water stress within the next few years. Demand will outstrip supply during certain periods, and there will be land degradation and declines in the yield of major crops.

The risks that drought poses to communities, ecosystems and economies are much larger and more profound than can be measured. Moreover, climate-change projections suggest that many areas will experience droughts more frequently and of greater severity.

This makes key issues, such as how well society is coping with drought and the availability of tools to reduce the cost of drought, all the more pressing.

FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM

Drought is not aridity or water scarcity; it is a failure of the system that drives the hydrological balance. This can include reduced rainfall over a certain period, inadequate timing or ineffectiveness of precipitation and/or a negative water balance due to an increased atmospheric water demand following high temperatures or strong winds.