Drought is a “creeping disaster” that devastates regions in slow motion. It kills livestock, ruins harvests, and has knock-on effects across the economy that force people to flee their homes. How worried should we be about drought – and can we do anything about it?
What is drought?
Droughts are long spells of unusually dry weather. They are defined based on local conditions – drought in a rainy country looks very different to drought in an arid one – and where in the water cycle the deficit hits.
Meteorological drought means a lack of rain. That can lead to hydrological drought (low water levels in streams and reservoirs) and agricultural drought (plant stress from low soil moisture) depending on factors such as how much water evaporates or runs off.
How bad are droughts?
Droughts can be extremely deadly. In Somalia, one of the countries most scarred by drought in recent history, doctors estimate 71,000 people died because of drought between January 2022 and June 2024, with children under the age of five making up more than one in three deaths. Droughts are also thought to have contributed to several armed conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.
In rich countries, droughts are unlikely to kill people but do staggering damage to the economy. In Europe, a recent study found drought has cost an average of €11bn (£9.6bn) a year over the past few decades. Farmers are hit hardest, but the effects stretch to hydropower dams and nuclear power plants, as well as inland shipping companies and the businesses that rely on them for trade.
Are droughts getting worse?
The share of the Earth’s land affected by drought has roughly doubled since 1900, according to analysis by the OECD, with dry spells becoming more common and more intense on all continents. Since the 1950s the picture has been mixed, with some regions having dried out, such as the Mediterranean and the Amazon, while others, such as large parts of North America, have grown wetter.
Is climate change making drought worse?
Fossil fuel pollution has warmed the planet by about 1.4C since preindustrial times, disrupting stable weather patterns and making many extremes more violent. The extra heat makes more water evaporate – a recent study blamed the atmosphere’s growing “thirst” for 40% of the increase in drought strength since 1981 – but the effect on rainfall is more complicated, as atmospheric currents shift water from one region to another.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that global heating will cause more and more regions to suffer from agricultural and ecological droughts, with the severity increasing at higher levels of warming.
People displaced by the 2021-23 Somalia drought. Photograph: Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP/GettyWhat can be done to survive drought?
Managing water supplies is crucial in regions that are drying out. This could mean shifting away from water-intensive industries, using water more efficiently, and reducing waste through leaky pipes. Restrictions on water use – such as hosepipe bans – are becoming increasingly common tools to deal with emergencies.
Farmers and scientists are also experimenting with drought-resistant crops that can better survive long periods without rain.
How can I help?
The average water consumption in rich countries can run to hundreds of litres per person per day, with people in water-scarce countries such as Spain and Israel using far less than northern Europeans and Americans.
The average person can save far more water through their consumption habits – such as eating less meat or buying fewer clothes – than actions such as turning off the tap when brushing their teeth. Still, experts in drought-stricken regions recommend taking shorter showers and filling dishwashers and washing machines before turning them on.