Weather & Science

UN Drought Report Highlights ‘Silent’ Threat to Warming Planet

The Global Drought Snapshot says more frequent and severe droughts are a wake-up call to improve resiliency.

A farmer stands in a drought-affected corn field in Santa Fe, Argentina in March 2023. 

Photographer: Sebastian Lopez Brach/Getty Images
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While wildfires, severe storms and floods cause short-term impacts that often grab the world’s attention, a drought that stretches over seasons or even years can be easier to overlook. Yet a new UN report shows droughts are just as deadly, and perhaps even more so, for their ability to stay under the radar.