Droughts have increased 29% in the space of a single generation, according to a paper the United Nations released on Wednesday, which observed that the problem is rapidly accelerating. Released to coincide with the 15th annual Conference of Parties held by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the “Drought in Numbers 2022” report reveals that droughts comprise just 15% of natural disasters but account for 45% of disaster-related deaths, along with an encyclopedia of other disturbing statistics.
From 1998 to 2017, droughts cost the world $124 billion, the report found. They also took some 650,000 lives between 1970 and 2019, and the report warns that over 2.3 billion people are currently living in water-insecure conditions, including 160 million children. In the US alone, drought-related economic losses have amounted to $249 billion since 1980.
Worsening drought conditions will put upwards of 700 million people at risk of becoming climate refugees by 2030 if something is not done to address the issue, the report warns. By 2040, a quarter of the world’s children will live in places with “extreme” water shortages, and by 2050, over three quarters of the population could be similarly affected. While 3.6 billion people currently live in areas where water is scarce for at least one month out of the year, that figure could increase to 4.8 billion or even as much as 5.7 billion by mid-century.