Severe Droughts Linked to “Megadroughts” Around the Globe
Severe drought conditions have played a significant role in fueling the intense wildfires currently ravaging Los Angeles. A new study published this week in the journal Nature warns of a more catastrophic threat: climate-driven “megadroughts” that disproportionately affect vulnerable regions worldwide.
Droughts: Felt Differently Across the Globe
Droughts are highly relative and depend significantly on the region’s typical climate conditions. For example, a severe drought in normally rainy Seattle, like the one in 2021, appears relatively manageable compared to Phoenix, Arizona. However, the ill effects of droughts can have severe ramifications on the ecosystem, occasionally leading to calamitous outcomes.
>“That’s what we see right now in California,” said Dirk Nikolaus Karger, a renowned senior researcher at Swiss Federal Institute WSL and author of the paper. “As time passes, we see the vegetation drying out, leading to increased fire frequency, and ultimately, loss of houses. As we venture into other areas, we worry about potential agricultural failures.”
The fires witnessed in California were primarily driven by a seven-month-long dry spell, while climate change is making western regions more susceptible to erratic precipitation patterns. Still, this new study assesses the droughts’ broader implication on a global scale, lasting years – not days or weeks – and impacting agricultural productivity and ecosystem variability.
Devastating the Chilean Economy
Pellicciotti attributes the researchers’ motivation to the ongoing South American drought that began in 2010. “The nationwide drought led to severe water rationing policies, primarily affecting Santiago, the capital of Chile, in 2021 and 2022. According to official reports, several mining operations halted production, further taxing the Chilean economy. Additionally, business giants, such as Google, were required to temporarily abandon any plans to construct a massive data centre solely due to water shortages.
