Context:

According to the World Drought Atlas, approximately 75% of the global population will be impacted by droughts by 2050.

More on the news: 

The World Drought Atlas was launched by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC).

• It was released at UNCCD's COP16 in Riyadh to boost global action on land and drought resilience with a people-centric approach.

The atlas is co-produced with Cima Research Foundation (Italy), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (Germany).

Key Highlights of Atlas:

• Droughts have increased by 29% since the year 2000 due to climate change and the unsustainable management of land and water resources.
• It highlights the impacts of drought on energy, trade, and agriculture, emphasizing that drought is not solely a climatic event but is also exacerbated by human factors like unsustainable water use, poor land management, and inefficient water resource management.
• Droughts can reduce hydropower generation, leading to higher energy prices or power outages, and can disrupt international trade due to low water levels that hinder inland waterway transportation (Eg- Panama Canal). 
• Data sharing, early warnings for droughts, and investments in forecasting systems are considered essential in reducing drought impacts and building resilience.

India Specific Highlights:

• The Atlas specifically calls for a better understanding of drought-related crop failure in India, especially in the agricultural sector, which employs over 25 million people.
• It highlights the potential significant loss of soybean yield due to drought conditions and draws attention to the water crisis in Chennai, which faced a "Day Zero" water crisis in 2019 due to poor water resource management and urbanization.
• Day Zero refers to the critical point at which a city's water supply is predicted to be nearly completely depleted, leaving taps dry and communities in crisis.
• The Atlas also mentions that tensions rose in India between 2020 and 2023, partly fueled by mismanagement of water resources.

Key Recommendations:

The measures highlighted for addressing drought resilience in the Atlas fall into three categories: 

• Governance (e.g. early warning systems, microinsurance for smallholder farmers, pricing schemes for water usage); 
• Land-use management (e.g. land restoration and agroforestry); 
• Management of water supply and use (e.g. wastewater reuse, managed groundwater recharge and conservation.)

Nations should adopt proactive and integrated drought risk management strategies. 

• It calls for a shift in decision-making processes at all levels of government, business, and society to better manage and mitigate drought risks.

The International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), established in 2022, emphasizes that proper soil and agronomic management can significantly mitigate drought impacts on crops. 

• The alliance focuses on mobilizing funds, enhancing knowledge sharing, and framing sustainable, impactful actions.