Context

• Drought has become a planetary disaster as around 300 million people in Asia, Africa, North America and Europe are at the grip of drought.

Drought as a hazard

• According to the UNCCD, the world loses 12 million hectares of land every year to drought and desertification
•  A drought Is defined as a “deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time , usually a season or more resulting in water shortage.

Drought emergency

• The failure of seasonal rain, long dry spells and gradual drying up of moisture in land with effects on crops are usual stages that lead to a drought emergency.

Global Scenario

• UN reveals that globally drought frequency and duration has increased by a third since 2000.
• Africa holds the highest burden of drought with East Africa facing droughts for four decades
• Europe has witnessed 45 major droughts in the last century.
• Countries like France and Portugal are enduring the worst drought on record.

Indian Context

• In India states like Odisha and Jharkhand and those in the Northeast are already under drought-like conditions, notwithstanding the severe floods that hit these areas.
• Delay in the onset of monsoon , variability in rainfall and failed monsoon are the major drivers of droughts in India.

Implications of the prevailing situation

• Droughts are becoming a lethal disaster, accounting for 15 per cent of natural disasters in the world but has killed 0.65 million during 1970-2019
• Climate Refugees – Forecasts by International Organization for Migration reveals that by 2050, some 215 million people could be displaced due to drought and other climate-related factors.
• Climate Change is fueling the intensity of drought in already vulnerable regions and tightening its grip in the not so vulnerable regions.
• Drought has been an existential hazard for those who depend on natural resources such as land for sustenance.

Way Forward

• Water and soil conservation measures must be put in place to protect agriculture from dry spells and ensure enough water for domestic consumption.
• It is necessary for both the rich and the poor to return to the roots and to indigenous communities who have mastered ways to tame disasters.
• The Intergrated Drought management program (IDMP) comprising of Drought monitoring, vulnerability assessment, mitigation, preparedness and response must be effectively adopted.