UN: Drought costs the world over $300 billion every year

2024-12-03 08:51:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United Nations warned on Tuesday that drought costs the world more than $300 billion every year.

These findings are included in the new UN report, as talks on desertification in Saudi Arabia are taking place.

Driven by "human destruction of the environment," drought is expected to affect the lives of 75 percent of the world's population by 2050, according to the report.

According to the findings, the crisis is currently costing the world $307 billion a year.

This warning was made as a conference is being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to fight drought as the risks of climate change increase.

The UN has called for investment in "nature-based solutions," such as "reforestation, grassland management, and watershed restoration."

Considering the high levels of dryness in Ecuador, Brazil, Namibia and Malawi, as well as countries bordering the Mediterranean, 2024 is expected to set a record as the hottest year since records began.

"The economic cost of drought goes beyond agricultural losses. It affects the supply chain, people's lives, causes hunger, unemployment, migration, and long-term challenges for human security", said Kaveh Madani, co-author of the report.

Climate scientists have said several times that several decades of greenhouse gas emissions have caused global temperatures to rise.

The world has warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to the industrial era, while countries aim to keep it below 1.5 degrees Celsius, to avoid major natural disasters./REL