Fueled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have taken place since 2023. This alarming finding comes from a new UN-backed report.
The report, titled “Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025,” was prepared by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It also received support from the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA). The document provides a comprehensive account of how droughts exacerbate poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.
“Drought is a silent killer. It creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion. Its scars run deep,” says UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.
Dr. Mark Svoboda, report co-author and NDMC Director, echoed this grave concern. “This is not a dry spell,” he states. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen. This report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of how drought affects lives, livelihoods, and the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on.”
ACUTE DROUGHT HOTSPOTS REVEALED
The new report synthesizes information from hundreds of government, scientific, and media sources. It highlights impacts within the most acute drought hotspots. The findings reveal that women and children are among the most vulnerable.
AFRICA: A CONTINENT IN CRISIS
Over 90 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa face acute hunger. Some areas have endured their worst-ever recorded drought.
- Southern Africa: Already drought-prone, this region was devastated. Roughly one-sixth of the population (68 million) needed food aid by August 2024.
- Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi: Maize and wheat crops have repeatedly failed here. In Zimbabwe alone, the 2024 corn crop was down 70% year-on-year. Maize prices doubled, and 9,000 cattle died from thirst and starvation.
- Somalia: The government estimated 43,000 people died in 2022 alone. These deaths resulted from drought-linked hunger. As of early 2025, 4.4 million people (a quarter of the population) face crisis-level food insecurity. This includes 784,000 expected to reach emergency levels.
- Zambia: Suffered one of the world’s worst energy crises. The Zambezi River plummeted to 20% of its long-term average in April 2024. The country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the Kariba Dam, fell to 7% generation capacity. This caused blackouts of up to 21 hours daily. Hospitals, bakeries, and factories were shuttered.
MEDITERRANEAN: WATER STRESS AND ECONOMIC BLOWS
- Spain: Water shortages severely impacted agriculture, tourism, and domestic supply. By September 2023, two years of drought and record heat caused a 50% drop in Spain’s olive crop. This caused olive oil prices to double across the country.
- Morocco: The sheep population was 38% smaller in 2025 relative to 2016. This prompted a royal plea to cancel traditional Eid sacrifices.
- Türkiye: Drought accelerated groundwater depletion. This triggered sinkholes, posing hazards to communities and infrastructure. It also permanently reduced aquifer storage capacity.
LATIN AMERICA: ECOSYSTEMS AND TRADE ROUTES UNDER THREAT
- Amazon Basin: Record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 led to mass deaths of fish and endangered dolphins. Drinking water and transport were disrupted for hundreds of thousands. As deforestation and fires intensify, the Amazon risks transitioning from a carbon sink to a carbon source.
- Panama Canal: Water levels dropped so low that transits were slashed. Daily ship transits fell by over one-third (from 38 to 24 ships) between October 2023 and January 2024. This caused major global trade disruptions. Facing multi-week delays, many ships rerouted. They took longer, costlier paths via the Suez Canal or South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Among the knock-on effects, U.S. soybean exports slowed. UK grocery stores reported shortages and rising prices of fruits and vegetables.
SOUTHEAST ASIA: SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS
Drought disrupted production and supply chains of key crops. Rice, coffee, and sugar were particularly affected. In 2023-2024, dry conditions in Thailand and India triggered shortages. This led to an 8.9% increase in the price of sugar and sweets in the US.
LESSONS AND URGENT RECOMMENDATIONS
The report calls for urgent investments in drought preparedness, emphasizing:
- Stronger early warning systems: This includes real-time drought and drought impact monitoring, especially for food and water insecurity.
- Nature-based solutions: Examples include watershed restoration and indigenous crop use.
- Resilient infrastructure: This encompasses off-grid energy and alternative water supply technologies.
- Gender-responsive adaptation: Ensuring women and girls are not further marginalized is crucial.
- Global cooperation: This is vital, especially for protecting transboundary river basins and trade routes.
The report delivers a powerful message: proactive, collaborative efforts are essential to mitigate the devastating, widespread impacts of drought in a changing climate