Drought is draining water supplies and driving up food costs where you’d least expect – Grist.org

Global Drought Crisis: A Report on Impacts to Sustainable Development Goals

A recent report by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) details how the combined effects of global warming, severe drought, and El Niño are triggering widespread crises, significantly impeding progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Examining drought hotspots from 2023-2025, the analysis reveals that increasingly severe droughts are devastating ecosystems and economies, directly undermining global efforts to achieve zero hunger, ensure clean water, and promote good health.

Regional Case Studies: Drought’s Impact on the SDGs

Zimbabwe: Compounding Crises in Water, Food, and Health

In Zimbabwe’s Mudzi district, a severe drought has crippled the Vhombozi River, a primary water source for over 100,000 people. This has led to a cascade of negative impacts across multiple SDGs.

• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Villagers were forced to dig for water in the dried riverbed, yielding contaminated, muddy water. A quarter of local health clinics ran out of water reserves, severely compromising sanitation and hygiene.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): The drought caused a 70% drop in corn yields, doubling consumer prices. The loss of thousands of cattle to thirst and starvation further threatened food security. A UNICEF food distribution program lost all its harvested crops, and between January and March, approximately 6 million people in Zimbabwe faced food insecurity.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Consumption of contaminated water posed significant health risks. Child malnutrition levels in Mudzi doubled, placing immense strain on the healthcare system.

Mexico City: Urban Water Stress and Economic Repercussions

Prolonged drought conditions in Mexico have provoked a severe water crisis, with significant consequences for food systems and economic stability, highlighting challenges to several SDGs.

• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): By summer 2024, 90% of the country experienced drought, and Mexico City’s water system reached a record low of 39% capacity. The crisis was compounded by inefficient infrastructure and overextraction.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): The water crisis is directly linked to food insecurity. Reductions in agricultural production led to food shortages and higher grocery prices, with consumer food inflation rates climbing steadily.
• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Soaring food prices, such as a 400% increase in the cost of cilantro, disproportionately affect low-income households. The report notes that such regional droughts can create ripple effects that become global economic shocks.

Amazon Basin: Ecosystem Collapse and Supply Chain Disruption

The Amazon River Basin experienced historically low water levels in 2023, leading to severe environmental and humanitarian consequences that threaten key development goals.

• SDG 15 (Life on Land) & SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Dropping waterways led to mass die-offs of marine life, which contaminated drinking water sources for local communities.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Local communities were unable to consume the fish they rely on for sustenance. Supply chain disruptions made it impossible for boats to deliver food and water, necessitating military intervention to distribute aid.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Pre-existing malnutrition in many Amazonian communities made them more vulnerable to the health and food insecurity effects of the drought.

Mekong Delta: Salinity, Agricultural Loss, and Vulnerability

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, a combination of drought, heatwaves, and saltwater intrusion has devastated the region’s agricultural heartland, which is critical for food production but also highly vulnerable to hunger.

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): The region, which produces the majority of Vietnam’s rice, saw significant reductions in food production due to saltwater intrusion. Up to 110,000 hectares of agricultural resources, including rice fields and fruit crops, were impacted, contributing to rice shortages and price inflation.
• SDG 1 (No Poverty): Up to half of the region’s rural households already struggled with food affordability, and the drought-induced shortages have exacerbated this economic strain.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): The crisis highlights the vulnerability of industrial, chemical-intensive agriculture to climate-related events and underscores the need for more resilient agricultural models.

Analysis and Recommendations for Achieving the SDGs

The report concludes that without major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, rising temperatures will lead to more frequent and severe droughts. Proactive management is presented as a matter of climate justice and equitable development, essential for protecting progress on the SDGs.

Recommendations for Proactive Drought Management and Climate Resilience

1. Strengthen Early Warning Systems: Implement robust, real-time drought impact monitoring to better prepare for events that fuel food and water insecurity, supporting SDG 2 and SDG 6.
2. Fortify Ecosystems: Pursue watershed restoration and the revival of traditional, water-efficient cultivation practices to enhance the resilience of land and water systems under SDG 15.
3. Invest in Resilient Infrastructure: Adopt alternative water supply technologies and improve water management to make infrastructure more climate-resilient, directly addressing SDG 6 and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).
4. Promote Equitable Adaptation: Ensure that adaptation methods account for and prioritize the most vulnerable populations, a core principle of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
5. Enhance Global Cooperation: Foster international partnerships for equitable resource access and management, particularly along critical food trade routes, in line with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The article extensively discusses food insecurity, malnutrition, and the collapse of food systems due to drought. It mentions a 70% drop in corn yields in Zimbabwe, 6 million people facing food insecurity, doubled child malnutrition levels, and soaring food prices in Mexico. These issues are central to the goal of ending hunger and ensuring food security.
2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • Water scarcity is the core issue driving the crises described. The article details communities in Zimbabwe digging for muddy, unsafe water, Mexico City’s water system reaching record lows, and contaminated drinking water in the Amazon Basin. This directly relates to the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article explicitly identifies “global warming, drought, and El Niño” and “climate change” as the primary drivers of the severe droughts and resulting crises worldwide. It calls for “major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” and strengthening resilience, which are key components of taking urgent action to combat climate change.
4. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The text states that droughts “compound poverty” and devastate livelihoods. The loss of crops and cattle in Zimbabwe, and the inability of farmers in the Mekong Delta to sell their catch, represent a direct threat to the economic well-being and livelihoods of these populations, linking the issue to the goal of ending poverty.
5. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • The article describes widespread “ecosystem collapse,” desertification (mentioning the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification), mass die-offs of marine life in the Amazon, and the degradation of agricultural land due to saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta. These points are directly related to protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):
   • Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. The article highlights this target’s relevance by describing how 6 million people in Zimbabwe faced food insecurity and how communities in the Amazon and Mekong Delta struggled with food access due to supply chain disruptions and crop failures.
   • Target 2.2: End all forms of malnutrition. This is directly referenced by the statement that “Child malnutrition levels in Mudzi doubled.”
   • Target 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. The article points to the failure of current systems (“industrial, chemical-intensive agriculture, with its high water demands”) and the need for adaptation, such as reviving “traditional cultivation practices” to build resilience against drought.
2. Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
   • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. The article illustrates the lack of progress towards this target, showing villagers in Zimbabwe resorting to “muddy brown” water, and Amazon communities facing contaminated water supplies.
   • Target 6.4: Substantially increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals to address water scarcity. The crisis in Mexico City, worsened by “inefficient water infrastructure and overextraction of the city’s aquifer,” directly points to the need to meet this target.
3. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. The entire article serves as a case study for this target, emphasizing the need to get “serious about resilience and real adaptation” and fortify systems in preparedness for future droughts.
4. Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):
   • Target 15.3: Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil. The article’s focus on severe drought, the mention of the UNCCD, and the impact on “110,000 hectares of agricultural resources” in the Mekong Delta highlight the urgency of addressing land degradation and desertification.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):
   • Prevalence of food insecurity: The article provides a direct number: “about 6 million people in Zimbabwe faced food insecurity.”
   • Prevalence of malnutrition: A clear indicator is mentioned: “Child malnutrition levels in Mudzi doubled.”
   • Agricultural yield/productivity: The article states that “Corn yields dropped 70 percent across the country [Zimbabwe].”
   • Food Price Index: The economic impact is measured by price changes, such as “consumer prices to double” in Zimbabwe and the cost of cilantro soaring by “400 percent” in Mexico.
2. For SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
   • Level of water stress: This is indicated by data points like “Mexico City’s water supply system reached a record low of 39 percent capacity” and the fact that “a quarter of health care clinics to run out of water reserves” in Zimbabwe.
   • Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services: This is implied negatively by descriptions of villagers drinking “muddy brown water” and drinking water in the Amazon becoming “contaminated by mass die-offs of marine life.”
3. For SDG 15 (Life on Land):
   • Proportion of land that is degraded: The article implies this indicator by stating that in Mexico, “90 percent of the country was experiencing some level of drought” and that “up to 110,000 hectares of agricultural resources” were impacted in the Mekong Delta.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: grist.org