Home News AU Locations at risk of experiencing ‘day-zero droughts’ within this decade

Locations at risk of experiencing ‘day-zero droughts’ within this decade

Where 'day-zero droughts' could happen as soon as this decade

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Numerous regions across the globe are anticipated to experience “day-zero droughts” during this decade. These periods of extreme water scarcity, as highlighted by a recent study, could impact areas like North America, the Mediterranean, and southern Africa.

It’s well known that climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels, is throwing the global water cycle off balance and causing scarcity.

What’s much less clear is when and where extreme water shortages will hit.

Cattle on a drought-affected farm in New South Wales, Australia, on August 26, 2019. An unprecedented water shortage meant more than a dozen small towns faced a "day zero." — Cattle on a drought-affected farm in New South Wales, Australia, on August 26, 2019. An unprecedented water shortage meant more than a dozen small towns faced a “day zero.” (Will Lanzoni/CNN via CNN Newsource)

Many cities are currently battling to avoid day zero, from Tehran and Kabul to Mexico City and Los Angeles.

Cities are especially vulnerable due to growing populations that increase demand on water supplies already strained by climate change and poor management.

Low-income communities are expected to be disproportionately affected, the study found.

Regions including the Mediterranean, southern Africa, Asia, and Australia are expected to face more frequent day-zero drought incidents, with shorter recovery periods between them, as per the report’s findings. This could hinder recovery efforts.

Such conditions pose severe threats to agriculture and ecosystems, and some severely affected areas may become uninhabitable in the long run, according to Franzke’s analysis.

The study underscores the urgent need to accelerate the transition to clean energy and enhance water management strategies, as substantial amounts of water are lost through leaks and other inefficiencies.

Furthermore, the research indicates a need for industries to adapt, noting the rising presence of water-intensive semiconductor manufacturing and data centers in water-scarce regions like Texas and Arizona.

One limitation with the study is that it doesn’t include groundwater resources in its calculations as they weren’t included in the models the scientists used, but Franzke said they have some measures in their analysis to help account for this.

Richard Allan, a professor of climate science at the University of Reading who was not involved in the research, said it was “important new evidence for how drought will emerge as climate warming combines with the demands for fresh water by societies.”

The research is a “guide rather than a perfect prediction,” Allan told CNN, but, it “paints a picture of an increasing attack on water resources from multiple fronts that is already emerging.”