OVER 75% OF WORLD’S POPULATION MAY BE AFFECTED BY DROUGHTS BY 2050

Sun 19 June 2022:

Droughts could affect more than three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050, according to the United Nations, which commemorated World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.

The day, which has been commemorated on June 17 every year since 1995, focuses on shifting public perceptions about the major cause of desertification and land degradation.

The theme for this year is “Rising up from drought together,” which emphasizes the importance of taking action quickly to avoid severe consequences for humanity and the environment.

According to statistics collated by Anadolu Agency from scientific results and publications by international agencies, drought is on the rise around the world as a result of global warming and dwindling water resources.

Since 2000, the number and duration of droughts have risen 29%, according to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report in 2021.

Additionally, one in four children are expected to live in drought-hit regions by 2040, according to UNICEF.

AFRICA SUFFERS MOST

A total of 11.7 million people were killed because of drought-related reasons between 1900 and 2019, while Africa suffers more than any other continent with 134 droughts in the last two decades.

Europe has seen 45 droughts in the last decade. The cost for Europe has exceeded $27 billion, with 15% of the continental land and 17% of the population affected.

In the US, damage caused by drought only to agricultural products has reached $250 billion in the last century.

The most deaths occurred in Asia.

Drought, which is the most frequent natural disaster affecting humans worldwide, after floods, has reduced the gross domestic product in India by 2% to 5%. It has reduced agricultural production by 18% in Australia since 2000.

Meanwhile, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Djibouti, Mauritania and South Africa are among the countries with the highest drought risk.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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