UN warns drought is a structural risk that will worsen

Drought is no longer just an environmental phenomenon but a "structural risk" that poses a significant threat to economies, production systems, and people's livelihoods, according to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Andrea Meza, the deputy executive secretary of the UNCCD, stated in Ulaanbaatar that the frequency of droughts has increased by 30% since the year 2000 and is expected to intensify over time.

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Drought is not just an environmental phenomenon, but it puts structural aspects of people's lives at risk, and its effects are already reaching areas previously unaccustomed to suffering from it.

Meza highlighted that drought's effects are now reaching areas previously unaccustomed to such conditions. While often associated with famine in Africa, drought is also impacting regions like the Brazilian Amazon and Panama, where it has led to limitations on ship traffic through the Panama Canal, disrupting international trade. The UNCCD official stressed that no country or economic sector is immune to drought's effects, urging businesses to implement measures within their operations to better prepare for the increasing losses they face.

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We are going to have more frequent and intense droughts. This is the reality.

"We are going to have more frequent and intense droughts. This is the reality," Meza declared. She called for a reinforcement of early warning systems and the adoption of national plans and policies by countries to address the escalating crisis. The UNCCD's warning echoes findings from the World Drought Atlas, published in 2024, which predicted that three out of every four people could be affected by drought by 2050, exacerbating inequalities and conflicts. The COP17 conference is also addressing desertification and land degradation, which currently affect 40% of the planet's land and half the world's population.

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Just as no country is immune to drought, neither is any economic sector.