World Environment Day: How Our Environment Has Changed Over 50 Years

Droughts have increased by 29% in frequency and duration since 2000.

As per the recent report of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):

Weather, climate, and water hazards caused for 50% of disasters and 45 % of disaster-related deaths from 1970 to 2019, mainly in developing nations.

Droughts account for 15% of natural disasters, but they have the highest human toll, with about 650,000 deaths between 1970 and 2019.

More than 2.3 billion people are being affected by water scarcity in 2022, with about 160 million children being subjected to severe and long-term droughts.

Drought is expected to force 700 million people to flee their homes by 2030.

By 2040, one out of every four children will be living in locations where there is a severe lack of water.

Droughts are expected to affect more than three-quarters of the world's population by 2050, with an estimated 4.8-5.7 billion people living in water-scarce areas for at least one month per year, up from 3.6 billion now.

Drought, in combination with other issues such as water scarcity, falling agriculture productivity, sea-level rise, and overpopulation, could drive up to 216 million people to migrate by 2050.