According to the United Nations ‘Global Land Outlook’ report, Pakistan is one of 23 nations that have experienced drought in the last two years (2020-2022).
The report, released by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) ahead of World Drought Day (June 17), lists the highest total number of people affected by drought over the last century.
The 23 countries listed by the report include Afghanistan, Angola, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, the United States and Zambia.
The report warns that humanity has never confronted such a diverse range of known and unknown risks and hazards while interacting in a hyper-connected and fast-changing environment.
By 2050, an additional 4 million square kilometres of natural areas, equivalent to the size of India and Pakistan, would require drought restoration measures, the report said.
The report warned that up to 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, which affects half of humanity and threatens roughly 50 per cent of the global GDP worth USD 44 trillion.
