Global drought report catalogs severe suffering, economic damage

UN-backed study reveals severe drought impacts from 2023–2025, spanning Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.A wide ranging report has revealed the severe drought-related effects across the globe between 2023 and 2025, showcasing a grim picture of human suffering, economic instability, and ecosystem collapse caused by intensifying droughts. According to the study, Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023–2025, compiled by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), highlights how intensifying droughts — driven by climate change and pressure on land and water — are reshaping global risks.
“This is not just a dry spell,” stated Dr. Mark Svoboda, co-author of the report and NDMC Director. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen.”The report provides a detailed view of drought’s widespread impacts on food, water, energy, and public health across critical regions, emphasizing how vulnerable populations — especially women and children — bear the brunt of the crisis. Based on over 250 peer-reviewed studies, government data, and global media sources, the findings call for immediate global cooperation and investments in resilience.
Africa: Hunger and Power Failures
In Eastern and Southern Africa, over 90 million people have faced acute hunger. Zimbabwe’s maize production dropped by 70% in 2024, maize prices doubled, and 9,000 cattle perished. Zambia’s Kariba Dam — vital for power generation — operated at just 7% capacity in April 2024, resulting in daily blackouts of up to 21 hours that disrupted hospitals, bakeries, and manufacturing.Somalia reported 43,000 drought-linked deaths in 2022. As of early 2025, 4.4 million Somalis are facing crisis-level food insecurity, and 1.7 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Mediterranean: Food, Water, and Economic Fallout
Spain, Morocco, and Türkiye experienced record-low rainfall and heat. Spain’s olive crop dropped by 50% in 2023, driving olive oil prices sky-high. Morocco’s sheep population shrank by 38% since 2016, while Türkiye’s aquifers are collapsing, with over 1,600 sinkholes threatening infrastructure and water security.“These countries are canaries in the coal mine,” said Svoboda. “No country can afford to be complacent.”
Latin America: Amazon Disruption and Global Trade Impact
Drought pushed the Amazon River to its lowest levels ever recorded in 2023 and 2024, causing mass die-offs of fish and endangered river dolphins. Rural and Indigenous communities were cut off from food and water. The Panama Canal was similarly crippled, reducing daily vessel crossings from 38 to 24 and triggering global supply chain shocks — delaying U.S. soybean exports and disrupting UK grocery supplies.
Southeast Asia: Agricultural Exports Squeezed
In Thailand and India, prolonged dry conditions in 2023–24 led to disruptions in rice, coffee, and sugar production. As a result, prices of sugar and sweets in the U.S. rose by nearly 9%.
Compounding Crises: Climate Change and El Niño
The 2023–2024 El Niño event intensified drought conditions already worsened by climate change, hitting hardest in regions with limited infrastructure and high population pressure. The OECD estimates economic losses from droughts have more than doubled since 2000 and are projected to rise by up to 110% by 2035.“This was a perfect storm,” said Dr. Kelly Helm Smith, NDMC Assistant Director. “Vulnerable societies and ecosystems have reached — or exceeded — their limits.”
Humanitarian Toll: Women and Children Most Affected
Drought’s social impact has been profound. In parts of Ethiopia, child marriages more than doubled in drought-hit areas. In Zimbabwe, hunger and sanitation challenges caused mass school dropouts among girls. In the Amazon, women giving birth were stranded without medical access.“The coping mechanisms grew increasingly desperate,” said lead author Paula Guastello. “Girls pulled from school and forced into marriage, families digging for water in dry riverbeds these are signs of severe crisis.”
Wildlife at Risk
Droughts also devastated wildlife. More than 200 endangered river dolphins died in the Amazon in 2023. Zimbabwe recorded 100 elephant deaths in Hwange National Park, while Botswana saw hippos stranded in empty riverbeds. In some areas, elephants were culled to feed rural communities and manage environmental stress.
Call for Urgent Global Action
The report outlines key recommendations for building drought resilience:
•Early warning systems and real-time drought impact tracking
•Nature-based solutions, including indigenous crop usage and watershed restoration
•Resilient infrastructure, such as off-grid energy and alternative water supplies
•Gender-responsive adaptation policies
•International cooperation on transboundary river basins and critical trade routes
“Drought is not just a weather event,” said Dr. Smith. “It’s a social, economic, and environmental emergency. The nations of the world have the resources and knowledge to prevent suffering — the question is, do we have the will?”
A Call from the International Drought Resilience Alliance
Sara Aagesen, Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition, emphasized the role of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) in mobilizing financial and technical resources for drought preparedness, especially in vulnerable communities.Senegal’s Environment Minister, Professor Daouda Ngom, added: “Drought is a global challenge. Building resilience is not only about survival — it’s about climate justice.”
By the Numbers:
•68 million: People needing food aid in Southern Africa
•4.4 million: Facing crisis-level hunger in Somalia
•70%: Maize crop loss in Zimbabwe (2024)
•21 hours/day: Power outages in Zambia
•50%: Drop in Spain’s olive crop
•1.7 million: Children in Somalia suffering from acute malnutrition
•€22.84 billion: Spain’s drought investment in water infrastructure
•1,600+: Sinkholes recorded in Türkiye due to groundwater loss
The UNCCD and NDMC stress that global resilience to drought hinges on shared responsibility, sustainable land and water use, and a fundamental rethinking of how humanity manages its most essential resources.