World Drought Atlas:
According to the World Drought Atlas around 75 per cent of the population will be affected by drought by 2050
- It has been launched by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in collaboration with European Commission Joint Research Centre.
- It explains how worsening drought risks are linked to human activities and then delves into the impacts of drought in five key areas—water supply, agriculture, hydropower, inland navigation, and ecosystems.
- It features 21 case studies from around the world, underscoring that no country is immune to drought and all can better prepare for it.
- It describes concrete measures and pathways to manage, reduce, and adapt to systemic drought risks; underscores the co-benefits of these actions for different sectors; and showcases best practices from different regions.
- The measures highlighted in the Atlas fall into three categories:
- Governance (e.g. early warning systems, microinsurance for smallholder farmers, pricing schemes for water usage);
- Land-use management (e.g. land restoration and agroforestry);
- Management of water supply and use (e.g. wastewater reuse, managed groundwater recharge and conservation.)
