A new report titled “Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025” warns that some of the most severe droughts in recorded history have affected millions of people across the globe, driven by climate change and pressure on natural resources. The report, backed by the United Nations, identifies major drought hotspots in Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
The report, drawing on hundreds of scientific and government sources, highlights the wide-ranging and interconnected impacts of drought, which deepen poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.
Global Hotspots and Their Impacts
- Africa: More than 90 million people in Eastern and Southern Africa face acute food insecurity, with some areas experiencing their worst droughts on record. In Zimbabwe, the 2024 corn crop plummeted by 70%, and over 9,000 cattle died from thirst and starvation. The report notes that women and children are disproportionately affected, with forced child marriages more than doubling in some regions of Ethiopia as families seek dowries to survive. Zambia experienced one of the world’s worst energy crises as the Zambezi River’s water levels dropped, causing the Kariba Dam to fall to 7% of its capacity and triggering blackouts of up to 21 hours a day.
- Mediterranean: In Spain, two years of drought and record heat led to a 50% drop in the olive harvest, causing olive oil prices to double. Morocco’s sheep population has declined significantly, prompting the king to urge people to cancel traditional Eid sacrifices.
- Latin America: In the Amazon Basin, record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 led to the mass death of fish and endangered river dolphins. The drought also cut off water access for hundreds of thousands of people. The Panama Canal saw its transit capacity slashed by over a third due to low water levels, causing global trade disruptions and leading to rising prices for some goods in countries like the U.S. and the UK.
- Southeast Asia: Dry conditions in Thailand and India disrupted the production of key crops like rice, coffee, and sugar, which in turn led to shortages and an increase in prices for sugar and sweets in the United States.
A Call for Drought Resilience
The report underscores that drought is no longer a distant threat but a “slow-moving global catastrophe.” It emphasizes the urgent need for a shift from a reactive crisis management approach to a proactive, forward-looking one.
The Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) a joint initiative of the World Meteorological Organization and the Global Water Partnership is a key part of this proactive strategy. The IDMP supports countries in developing drought policies and risk management strategies. The report highlights that improving drought monitoring, planning, and response is critical for building #DroughtResilience and protecting the world’s most vulnerable communities.
