Drought is a long-term weather phenomenon that recurs every year in some areas of the world. It can be caused by a hot, dry summer or by many years of lower-than-average rainfall. Its impacts on the environment, agriculture, businesses and people vary depending on where a drought occurs and how it develops.
Climate change is predicted to make droughts worse in some areas of the world and less frequent in others. This is because warmer worldwide temperatures can increase the intensity of rainstorms and decrease the amount of rainfall, resulting in more flooding in some places and more drought in others.
While drought can be natural, humans have the ability to reduce its impact on them and on ecosystems by using sustainable water management practices and reducing demand for water. This includes limiting waste (such as turning off the faucet while brushing teeth), using low-flow plumbing fixtures, watering gardens in the morning when less water evaporates, and purchasing energy-efficient appliances.
In addition to impacting the quantity of available water, drought can affect water quality by enhancing stratification, leading to toxic cyanobacterial blooms and decreased oxygen levels in surface waters. However, these impacts are often not captured in impact assessments, which tend to focus on costs of relief and recovery, rather than the cost of mitigating actions to mitigate the risk of drought.
Developing a strong community response to drought is one of the best ways to minimize its impacts. This includes creating early warning systems that can alert communities when lakes or groundwater levels are reaching critical thresholds. Educating citizens about how to reduce water consumption is also important. In rural areas, this can include promoting livestock farming as a way to diversify income sources, and educating farmers about drought-resistant crops.