A new global report has confirmed that the world is experiencing the most destructive droughts ever recorded. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center, and the International Drought Resilience Alliance released the joint findings Monday, covering drought impacts between 2023 and 2025.
The data reveals mass crop failures, hunger, energy shortages, and environmental collapse across multiple continents. Researchers linked these outcomes to climate change, land degradation, and poor drought preparedness. “This is not a dry spell,” said Dr. Mark Svoboda, a co-author of the report. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Eastern and Southern Africa have recorded the highest levels of drought-linked suffering. In Zimbabwe, the 2024 maize harvest dropped by 70 percent, triggering food shortages and doubling corn prices. More than 9,000 cattle have died from lack of water and grazing.
Somalia has also faced ongoing drought-related famine. In 2022, 43,000 people died due to hunger. By early 2025, one in four Somalis was experiencing crisis-level food insecurity.
In Zambia, the Zambezi River dropped to just 20 percent of its normal level in April. That drop crippled the Kariba Dam, which generated only 7 percent of its usual electricity output. Blackouts lasting up to 21 hours a day shut down hospitals, bakeries, and industries.
According to the report, 90 million people in the region are currently suffering from acute hunger.
UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw described the trend plainly: “Drought is a silent killer. It creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion.”
In Spain, two consecutive years of heat and drought cut olive production by half by late 2023, doubling olive oil prices nationwide.
In Türkiye, underground water levels have dropped rapidly, triggering sinkholes and damaging infrastructure. Water reserves have shrunk while urban development has remained unchecked.
In South America’s Amazon Basin, record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 caused mass die-offs of fish and endangered dolphins. Water shortages hit hundreds of thousands of people. Combined with ongoing deforestation and wildfires, scientists warn the Amazon could soon emit more carbon than it absorbs.
Shipping traffic through the Panama Canal dropped by more than one-third due to low water levels. That bottleneck disrupted global trade, contributing to reduced U.S. soybean exports and increased food prices in UK supermarkets.
The report urged governments to adopt immediate, science-based responses. These include early warning systems, real-time monitoring of drought impacts, and investment in watershed restoration.
It also called for improved infrastructure like solar-powered water systems and regional agreements to manage shared water sources.
Coordinated action, experts say, is the only way to reduce future devastation. We must take drought seriously as a global threat, the report states. The window for preparedness is closing fast.
The findings show that drought is no longer an isolated threat in dry regions but a growing crisis affecting health, economies, and ecosystems worldwide. As the world warms, the report warns that these disasters will become more severe and more frequent unless urgent action is taken.
About the Author
