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Drought

Drought

Natural hazards

Drought is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world. It is typically a slow on-set phenomenon caused by a lack of rainfall.

It has a major impact on food security, health and population displacement and migration. 

Overview

The impacts of droughts can be as varied as the causes of droughts. They can be devastating and costly, affecting society, agriculture and food security, hydropower generation, infrastructure, the economy, and ecosystems.

Droughts are a normal part of the climate, and they can occur in any environment worldwide, even in deserts and rainforests.

Droughts are one of the costliest natural hazards year-to-year and can affect many economic sectors and people anytime. The areas affected by droughts are typically larger than those for other hazards.

No other hazard lends itself so well to monitoring because the slow onset of droughts allows time to observe changes in precipitation, temperature and the overall status of surface water and groundwater supplies in a region. Droughts can be characterized by their severity, location, duration and timing.

Impact

Drought has always been a part of the natural variability of our climate. A change in climate increases pressures on food production and access, especially in vulnerable regions, and undermines food security and nutrition.

Between 1970 and 2019 drought caused approximately 650,000 deaths. Poverty and poor land use can increase vulnerability to drought and intensify their impact. Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (WMO, 2021).

WMO's response

The Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) is a joint initiative between WMO and the Global Water Partnership (GWP).

The IDMP works with over 45 partners to support countries and states, by providing them with policy and management guidance for handing droughts.

The IDMP also shares best practice and expert knowledge, for better integrated drought management.

Related activities

Activity

Agricultural Services

Through its Standing Committee on Services for Agriculture, WMO assists its Members on agricultural meteorology by providing meteorological, climatological and related services to the agricultural community to help develop sustainable and economically viable agricultural systems. WMO’s standard-setting in agricultural meteorology revolves around reviewing and updating: User needs and requirements on all aspects of agrometeorological services and practices across the agricultural value chain (farm-transport-milling-export/trading) and the various agricultural sub-sectors (crops, livestock, forestry, rangelands and fisheries sectors);Standards and guidance on all aspects of agrometeorological services and practices across the agricultural value-chain and sub-sectors related to technical commissions, regional associations, Research Board, and Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS); andExisting standards and guidance material on drought management in cooperation with other WMO activities and partners.In the area of technical support to Members, WMO provides:Technical assistance to the various Global Framework for Climate Services processes and projects on food production sustainability, and agriculture and food security including the assessment of atmospheric pollution and deposition impact on food production, together with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and World Food Programme; andCapacity building, technical advice and tools to enable agricultural users to adequately understand and use weather and climate information, such as historical variability and trends, sub-seasonal and seasonal climate forecasts and climate change projections to address the impacts of climatic variability and change on agriculture.WMO also works to nurture a collaborative environment to advance global efforts around agricultural meteorology by providing:Effective communication methods and channels for acquiring and disseminating agrometeorological information,Advice and warnings to agricultural subsectors,Platform for feedback, including through the further development of the World Agrometeorological Information Service; andScientific and technical advice to the WMO/GWP Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) and to United Nations related drought meetings, such as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Activity

Hydrological Services

WMO is the lead United Nations specialized agency for operational hydrology, which covers the entire value cycle related to inland waters. This includes real-time and regular measurement, collection, processing, archiving and distribution of hydrological, hydrometeorological and cryospheric data to hydrological services, the development of analyses, models, forecasts and warnings to inform society, governments, disaster agencies, water resources management and support all water-related decisions. WMO supports the National Hydrological Services (NHSs) of its Member States and Territories to develop and strengthen capabilities in operational hydrology, with special attention to hydrological services delivery to reduce human and economic losses.

Activity

Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP)

Whether due to natural climate variability or climate change, the likelihood of extreme weather conditions is increasing. The impacts include more frequent and severe droughts, which affect the lives of millions of people and cause great economic losses. The Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) provides advice and guidelines to communities, countries and regions affected by drought through the Integrated Drought Management HelpDesk.The wider scope of the Programme is to build climate resilience, reduce economic and social losses, and alleviate poverty in drought-affected regions of the world through an integrated approach to drought management, which cuts across sectoral, disciplinary and institutional jurisdictions and is responsive to specific regional and national needs and requirements. More on Integrated Drought Management Programme

Activity

WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) 

As a worldwide network of operational centres operated by WMO Members, the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) makes defined products and services operationally available among WMO Members and relevant operational organizations for applications related to weather, climate, water and the environment.High-quality products and services are generated using advanced science and technology such as Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and Earth system modelling, better observations, improved data assimilation, increased computing power, and enhanced knowledge of weather dynamics and physics. These advancements have led to more accurate predictions, benefiting operational meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, and climatology. However, there is a significant disparity in forecasting capabilities among WMO Members, with developed Members benefiting more from these advancements compared to developing and least developed countries due to limited resources.  WIPPS serves as a framework to address this gap for sharing operationally meteorological, hydrological, oceanographic, and climatological data. WMO Members can access and utilise the most advanced numerical models’ data and applications through WIPPS Designated Centre (WIPPS-DC), leveraging scientific and technological advancements in Earth system modelling. WIPPS is facilitated by the WMO Information System (WIS), which supports international data exchange. By expanding the range of designated and participating centres, WIPPS enhances the global data-processing and forecasting system, enabling a broader range of applications to strengthen the world’s weather, climate, water and related environmental services. WIPPS was previously known as the Global Data-processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS).Related links:WIPPS on the Community PlatformWIPPS Web PortalWIPPS Dashboard

Related publications

Drought and Water Scarcity

National Drought Management Policy Guidelines – A Template for Action

Handbook of Drought Indicators and Indices

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