Drought

Turkana, Kenya – Under the scorching sun in Kainama, Turkana County, Veronica Akalapatan and her neighbours trek several kilometres each day to reach a shrinking well set amid the cracked, dusty plains of northern Kenya. The shallow pit, accessed by a simple wooden ladder, is the area’s only water source. Hundreds of residents from nearby villages – along with their animals – depend on it. Many wait for hours to fill small plastic containers with limited amounts of murky water. Recommended

A recent report on climate change has revealed that the area of the Earth's surface impacted by severe drought has tripled since the 1980s. According to research by the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, nearly half—48%—of the Earth's land experienced at least one month of extreme drought last year. This figure is a stark increase from an average of 15% back in the 1980s. In 2023, three months or more of extreme drought affected 30% of the planet, a significant rise from