The world has experienced "some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history since 2023," warns a United Nations-backed report launched on Wednesday.
Prepared by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with support from the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), the latest Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025 report provides a comprehensive account of how drought compounds poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.
The report says that global drought has been "fueled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water" over the past two years.
It describes drought as a "silent killer" which "creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion."
"This is not a dry spell," said Mark Svoboda, report co-author and NDMC's founding director. "This is a slow-moving global catastrophe."
The report also describes the 2023-2024 El Nino event as having "added fuel to the fire" of climate change, amplifying drought impacts in agricultural and ecological hotspots.
The impacts have been particularly acute in Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Eastern and southern Africa are among the worst-affected regions, where more than 90 million people are facing acute hunger. Southern Africa, already drought-prone, was devastated, with about 68 million, or roughly one in six people, needing food aid in August 2024, according to the report.
The report urges immediate global investment in drought preparedness, such as establishing stronger early warning and real-time monitoring systems and building more resilient infrastructure.
UN-backed report calls escalating drought 'slow-moving global catastrophe'
The 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the Ninth Special Olympic Games will conclude on Monday, with a full-dress rehearsal for the closing ceremony held Saturday night at Shenzhen Sports Center.
Lasting approximately 45 minutes, the rehearsal seamlessly integrated artistic performances with core ceremonial elements, including the entrance of sports delegations, flag reception, flag raising, and the singing of national anthem.
The ceremony aims to highlight themes of inclusion and unity, underlining the spirit of perseverance, solidarity, and determination. Messages of harmony between disabled and non-disabled individuals, shared values across the Greater Bay Area, and collective progress were central to the evening's presentation.
A total of 600 performers are participating in the closing ceremony, including about 130 persons with disabilities. Organizers worked to ensure a supportive environment by pairing each visually impaired performer with a non-disabled guide to assist during rehearsals and performances.
Behind the scenes, thoughtful design turns inclusiveness into action. Though visitors will see a simple, elegant stage, hidden modifications make it fully accessible. Traditional stairs have been replaced with ramps on both sides of the stage to accommodate wheelchair users and all performers, and anti-slip carpets have been laid throughout to ensure safety, especially for performers with mobility challenges.
Technical teams are also fine-tuning every detail, including stage visuals and lighting effects.
A total of 7,824 athletes from 34 delegations registered for this year's Games, held for the first time jointly across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in the Greater Bay Area. The competition includes 1,876 events in 46 sports, with six winter sports already concluded. Highlights also include 131 events in 11 mass-participation sports and 599 events in nine Special Olympics sports.
Under the slogan "Passionate National Games, Vibrant Greater Bay Area," the Games are also being used to promote innovation in assistive technologies. A range of advanced products will be put into use during competition, helping move technologies from laboratories into real-world testing and market application.
Full-dress rehearsal for National Para Games' closing ceremony held in Shenzhen
