A new report launched by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) has detailed the impact of droughts around the world between 2023 and 2025, describing them as among the ‘most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history’.
The report, Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023–2025, indicates how widespread droughts, which have been exacerbated by climate change and El Niño weather patterns, have led to food, water and energy crises in affected nations.
‘A silent killer’
“Drought is a silent killer,” commented UNCCD executive secretary Ibrahim Thiaw. “It creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion. Its scars run deep.
“Drought is no longer a distant threat. It is here, escalating, and demands urgent global cooperation. When energy, food, and water all go at once, societies start to unravel. That’s the new normal we need to be ready for.”
Drought conditions haven’t just affected traditional hotspots such as Africa or Latin America either – in Spain, water shortages have heavily impacted agriculture, tourism, and domestic supply.
In 2023, for example, two years of drought, coupled with record heat, led to a 50% drop in Spain’s olive crop.
Elsewhere, in Morocco, the sheep population has fallen by close to two thirds (38%) between 2016 and 2025, while in Türkiye, droughts have accelerated groundwater depletion, leading to widespread sinkholes.
‘Slow-moving catastrophe’
“This is not a dry spell,” added Dr. Mark Svoboda, report co-author and NDMC Director. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen. This report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of how drought affects lives, livelihoods, and the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on.
“The Mediterranean countries represent canaries in the coal mine for all modern economies. The struggles experienced by Spain, Morocco and Türkiye to secure water, food, and energy under persistent drought offer a preview of water futures under unchecked global warming.
“No country, regardless of wealth or capacity, can afford to be complacent.”
The report calls for urgent global investment in drought preparedness, including nature-based solutions and more comprehensive early warning systems.
“The evidence is clear”, added Andrea Meza, deputy executive secretary of UNCCD. “We must urgently invest in sustainable land and water management, land-use planning and integrated public policies to build our resilience to drought or face increasingly harsh consequences.” Read more here.
