GS Paper III

News Excerpt:

The report ‘Global Drought Snapshot’ was released by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in collaboration with the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) at COP28 at Dubai.

Fact Findings: 

• The UN report 'Global Drought Snapshot' sheds light on the pressing need for global resilience against droughts, highlighting severe drought conditions in China, food insecurity in the Horn of Africa, and reduced crop production in regions like Brazil-Argentina. 
• The report underscores the detrimental impact of drought on agriculture, forests, and water conditions worldwide, leading to crop damage, loss of grazing land, and low water levels in rivers.

Drought Impact Data: 

• Global Scale Emergency: The data collected over the last two years point to an unparalleled planetary emergency due to human-induced droughts. Droughts have a far-reaching impact, causing loss of life, economic damage, and affecting various sectors of societies across the world.
• Silent Devastation: Droughts often go unnoticed and fail to garner immediate public and political response compared to other disasters, leading to neglect and isolation of affected populations.

Statistics and Impacts:

• China faces an expected increase in drought intensity by 80% by 2100 affecting 15-20% of China's population. The Horn of Africa had 23 million severely food-insecure individuals in December 2022. The contiguous United States faced severe to extreme drought conditions affecting 5% of its area in May 2023. 
• Severe drought conditions in the La Plata basin of Brazil-Argentina in 2022 impacted crop production globally. Europe experienced its largest drought-impacted area in 2022, significantly exceeding the average impacted area between 2000 and 2022. The Horn of Africa witnessed its worst drought in 40 years, leading to reduced agricultural productivity, food insecurity, and high food prices. 

Agriculture, Forests, and Water Conditions: 

• Mediterranean Cereal Crops have suffered a severe 70% damage due to drought from 2016 to 2018. 
• South Africa's Grazing Land might experience a significant 33% loss due to drought.  
• Under a 3°C warming scenario, forest losses in the Mediterranean might double or triple compared to current risks. 
• Various economic losses, such as Argentina's soybean production drop and EU cropland impacted by drought.

Social Impact: 

• Drought-related economic losses in Africa over the past 50 years have amounted to $70 billion. Argentina's Soybean Production is expected to drop by 44% in 2023, contributing to a 3% GDP reduction for Argentina in the same year. 
• 85% of people affected by drought live in low- or middle-income countries. 1.2 million people in the Central American Dry Corridor region need food aid after enduring five years of drought, heatwaves, and unpredictable rainfall. 
• Majority of people affected by drought live in low- or middle-income countries. Higher vulnerability in regions prone to drought, storms, and floods. Large populations require food aid due to prolonged drought conditions.

Recommendations and Call for Action:

• Nature-based solutions like land restoration have the potential to offset up to 25% of CO2 emissions. Highlighting the urgency of proactive measures by nations to mitigate drought impacts and respect planetary boundaries.
• Emphasizing the importance of respecting planetary boundaries, restoring degraded landscapes, urban intensification, family planning, and curbing rapid population growth.
• Replacing half of animal products consumed with sustainable alternatives could potentially prevent almost 100% conversion of global forests and natural land for agriculture.
• Switching to micro-irrigation (drip irrigation) systems could potentially reduce water waste by 20 to 50%.
• Global disaster-related losses covered by insurance increased to 45% in 2020 but remain low in many developing countries.

Conclusion: 

The report urges proactive measures and binding global agreements to address climate change-induced challenges, prevent famine, mitigate forced migration, and curb water conflicts. It stresses the need for respecting planetary boundaries and fostering interdependencies among all forms of life while promoting environmental and social justice. Efficient water management and disaster preparedness are highlighted as critical components in building global resilience against droughts.