75% global population to be affected by drought in 25 years: UNCCD’s ‘Drought Atlas’ provides adaptation guidelines

Sub : Geo

Sec : Climatology

Context:

Key Findings from the Atlas:

Projected Impact by 2050: 75% of the global population will be affected by droughts by 2050.
Purpose & Context:
- The atlas was co-produced by:
  - Cima Research Foundation (Italy)
  - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands)
  - UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (Germany)
Human Factors & Drought Amplification:
- Droughts are influenced by both natural and human factors. Human activities like poor land and water management can worsen the effects of droughts.
- Key factors exacerbating drought impacts include:
  - Unsustainable water use
  - Water competition across sectors
  - Poor land management
  - Inadequate water resource accounting
The Importance of Data:
- Proper monitoring and forecasting systems are crucial for managing drought risks.
- Data sharing will play a key role in reducing the damage caused by droughts.

Specific Impact on India:

Drought-Related Crop Failures:
- The atlas highlighted the risk of crop failures in India, particularly a significant loss of soybean yield due to drought.
Chennai’s Water Crisis:
- Chennai’s 2019 ‘Day Zero’ incident was cited as an example of how mismanagement of water resources and urbanization led to a severe water crisis.
- Despite receiving over 1,400 mm of rainfall annually, unplanned urban growth and poor implementation of rainwater harvesting laws resulted in depleted groundwater levels, pushing the city towards a drought-like situation.
- This highlights that droughts are not always natural phenomena; human actions can significantly influence their occurrence and severity.
Wider Implications for India:
- Between 2020 and 2023, India saw riots and tensions linked to water mismanagement, indicating how water scarcity can trigger social unrest.

Global and Policy Call to Action:

Urgency for Policy Action:
- The atlas stresses the need for urgent action at the policy level to address and mitigate drought impacts.
- International cooperation and commitments across sectors are vital.