Drought as an effect of global warming

Despite the more frequent discussion of the impact of global warming through increasingly common natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, storms, and the like, the fact that global warming also increases the risk of drought in various ways should not be overlooked.

Water evaporates more quickly at higher temperatures. In this way, higher air temperatures not only promote conditions that favor drought but also intensify them. What could otherwise be a mild or moderate drought in cooler parts of the world will become a serious drought in warmer areas, as a result of higher evaporation rates.

Droughts can occur every year or every few years, lasting for years or even decades, and can cause varying levels of dryness. This makes it difficult to distinguish random events from those that can be linked to human-induced warming. Given that droughts are increasingly occurring in line with trends of rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, and projections from computer models, scientists are becoming more confident in the connection between droughts and climate change.

According to the latest research, it has been found that droughts are likely to become more intense during the 2050s and beyond. Furthermore, predictions indicate that the likelihood of megadroughts – droughts lasting 10 or more years – will also increase from the current 12% to over 60%.

Thinking about nature conservation is one of the best defenses against drought and associated risks such as forest fires, crop failures, energy crises, and more. Countries should also proactively invest in information systems, institutions, and infrastructure that will ensure and improve resilience to droughts through:

•  Monitoring and early warning systems
•  Other infrastructural solutions, such as desalination, water reuse, recycling, and rainwater harvesting
•  Institutions and planning, implementing mechanisms such as drought legislation, defining roles and responsibilities related to drought preparedness and response
•  Financing tailored to vulnerable groups and sectors
•  Coordinated multi-level planning for both short-term emergency responses and long-term investment planning