Some countries are more prone to drought than others due to various environmental factors.
Water occupies 71% of the Earth's surface; the remaining 29% is land. However, a third of the land mass is considered desert. The two largest cold deserts on Earth are the Arctic and Antarctic. The Sahara Desert remains the largest hottest desert in the world.
Global warming is accelerating desertification, and by 2050, much of the earth will have limited access to fresh water. African and Asian countries are most affected by desertification. The 3,500,000 square miles of the Sahara Desert spans the entire region of North Africa and is relentlessly invading East Africa.
10. Morocco
The Sahara Desert covers most of Morocco. About 18.22% of the country's arable land is under vegetation, 12.62% is forest cover, and the rest is desert. The southern part of the country receives from 100 to 200 mm of precipitation per year. Although the country is prone to drought, it ranks 5th in Africa's economy. The government has developed a $ 633 million contingency plan.
9. Uganda
The Republic of Uganda is located on the Equator. It is a relatively small country with a population of 41 million. About 71.89% of Uganda is agricultural land, 34.41% is arable land and 10.36% is forested. The Congo forest covers eastern Uganda, but the northern part, bordering South Sudan, is negatively impacted by the Sahara. The area is experiencing persistent drought, leaving half a million people with very little food and water. Despite years of government intervention, the situation in northern Uganda remains critical.
8. Somalia
Unfortunately, food security is a widespread problem in Somalia. One of the realities that influences this is that only 1.75% of Somalia is arable land. Most Somalis depend on international food aid from the United Nations and the International Red Cross. Famine threatens about a million people, most of whom are children and women.
7.Iran
The desert covers most of Iran. 73% of the country's territory is considered desert land, and 27% is agricultural land. About 6.5% of the land is forested, and only 1.1% is permanent arable land. The food situation in the country is so dire that the government has notified the UN that it needs international assistance. The country has spent about US $ 1.7 billion to mitigate the impact of recurring droughts in the country, including US $ 200 million spent on water pumps and water treatment systems.
6. Pakistan
Pakistan experienced its worst drought in 50 years between 1998-2002. At the moment, the situation has only worsened. The government says food and water shortages threaten nearly three million people. The Thar Desert in the southern part of the country has been abandoned as thousands of people and millions of animals migrate in search of conditions suitable for life. Pakistan is expected to face an absolute water shortage by 2025 as the country's largest freshwater source; the Indus basin continues to dry up.
5. China
The northern and southwestern regions of China have been facing persistent drought in recent years, leaving millions of people on the brink of starvation. Crops are withering and farmers and herders are desperate for water for their farmland and animals. About three million people in northern China's Shanxi province are in dire need of water, while a third of the area's wheat crop dries up due to lack of irrigation or rainwater. China's deserts cover an average of 1,300 square miles a year, and the government is sending soldiers to plant trees to tackle this situation.
4. Afghanistan
Afghanistan is one of the driest and most barren countries in the world. About 2.5 million people are affected by the drought and need government and international assistance. The southern parts of the country lose about 60-80% of their animals whenever a drought occurs. Crops that depend on rain in several provinces, including Balkh, Herat, Sari Pul, Jowzjan and Faryab, are drying up, leading to hunger and human migration.
3. Eritrea
Eritrea is facing a series of dire crises that include repeated fighting along the Ethiopian border, poverty, hunger, political instability, migration, disease and drought. The country is currently facing severe food insecurity, which has left 1.3 million people hungry. Children are the hardest hit, and UNICEF and international donors are working to alleviate the problem of malnutrition and disease. food quality related. About half of the country's children suffer from malnutrition, while two out of three people live on twice a day or less.
2. Sudan
About 2.8 million people in Sudan are affected by drought every year. Severe impacts are being felt in South Sudan, where drought and civil war rage across the country. Sudan is largely a desert and the country, like Egypt, depends on the Nile River. Arable land is found along the banks of the river. The construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile threatens to cut water flow on the Nile, triggering drought in Sudan.
1. Ethiopia
Crop failures and persistent insecurity in parts of Ethiopia have led to food insecurity and dwindling food supplies across the country. About a million people every year, including children under the age of five, require government and international intervention. Heavy rains and flash floods, poverty and disease worsen the situation.
We recommend watching:
An overview of the ten largest deserts on our planet:
