10939
Open
admin
Drought climate change COP26 drylands The Southern African Drought Resilience Initiative (SADRI)
25 October 21
Southern Africa
Throughout Southern Africa, drought is the deadliest national disaster. Yet one-third of the region’s population live in drought-prone areas. As COP26 places climate change front and center on the global development agenda, we must remember that with proper preparedness, drought doesn’t have to be such a killer. But being prepared means being proactive rather than responding to crises.
Southern Africa has historically been one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to the effects of droughts. Over the past 30 years, rainfall has been declining in the southern African drylands. From 1980 to 2015, droughts cost the region US$3.4 billion, directly affecting more than 100 million people. Looking ahead, the region is expected to become hotter and drier with climate change – a trend that will increase the likelihood of even more extreme droughts.
ReliefWeb