Global Drought Snapshot 2023: Drought Emergency Declared by 23 Countries

Context:  Recently, the Global Drought Snapshot report was released by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) coinciding with COP 28. 

What are the key highlights of the Global Drought Snapshot 2023?

• The Global Drought Snapshot report highlighted that only a few hazards claim more lives, cause more economic loss, and affect more sectors of society than drought. 
• According to UNCCD, 1.84 billion people were drought-stricken, out of which 4.7 percent were exposed to severe or extreme drought. 
• According to the World Bank, around 85% of people affected by droughts live in low or middle-income countries.
• Around 23 countries (including India) declared drought emergencies at a national or sub-national level during 2022-23, according to new data from a global drought map compiled by the United Nations.  
• The year 2023 has broken records when the world breached 2 degrees Celsius of warming on November 17, 2023.

About Drought:

• Drought: It is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world. Features: It is a slow-onset disaster characterized by the lack of precipitation, resulting in a water shortage. 
• Impact: Droughts have a cascading effect ranging from dwindling reservoir levels, declining crop yields, loss of biological diversity, and famines to serious economic consequences, especially in agriculture-dependent regions. 

What are the key findings of the Global Drought Snapshot 2023?

• An emergency was declared in 23 countries due to the impact of drought.  
  • Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and China. 
  • Europe: Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal, Romania and Serbia.
  • North America: the United States and Canada also declared drought emergencies.
  • South American: Uruguay. 
  • Africa: Niger, Djibouti, Cabo Verde and Mauritania, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. 
  • Other countries: Including Kiribati, Marshal Islands, and Tuvalu. 

News Source: DTE