Drought is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world. It is a slow-onset disaster characterized by the lack of precipitation, resulting in a water shortage. Drought can have a serious impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the environment.
An estimated 55 million people globally are affected by droughts every year, and they are the most serious hazard to livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world. Drought threatens people’s livelihoods, increases the risk of disease and death, and fuels mass migration. Water scarcity impacts 40% of the world’s population, and as many as 700 million people are at-risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030. Rising temperatures caused by climate change are making already dry regions drier and wet regions wetter. In dry regions, this means that when temperatures rise, water evaporates more quickly, and thus increases the risk of drought or prolongs periods of drought. Between 80-90% of all documented disasters from natural hazards during the past 10 years have resulted from floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, heat waves and severe storms
As the health cluster lead for global emergencies, WHO works with partners to respond to drought-
related disasters. This includes:
Drought is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the
world. It is a slow-onset disaster characterized by the lack of precipitation, resulting in a water
shortage. Drought can have a serious impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the
environment.
An estimated 55 million people globally are affected by droughts every year, and they are the most
serious hazard to livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world. Drought threatens people’s
