December 2024: UNCCD launches the World Drought Atlas

The World Drought Atlas was launched by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre during the UNCCD COP16 meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the 197 member states are negotiating drought resilience strategies. The Atlas is a comprehensive publication addressing global drought risks, offering insights through maps, infographics, and case studies on the interconnected effects of drought across sectors like agriculture, energy, international trade, and public health - often leading to devastating cascading effects.

With droughts projected to impact 75% of the global population by 2050, the Atlas emphasizes the urgency of national drought plans, international cooperation, and proactive drought management. It challenges leaders to rethink decisions and policies to enhance resilience against this growing hazard, highlighting the need to address often-overlooked ecosystem impacts and the increasing frequency of fast-onset “flash droughts”.

You can download the World Drought Atlas here: https://www.unccd.int/resources/publications/world-drought-atlas